Andre the Giant Page #10

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I mean, you see him

in some fights where

he constantly

has one hand on the ropes.

Or he has his hands

on his opponent, to get--

he just needs something

to steady himself.

Announcer:

Andr the Giant

with glazed eyes.

Then he starts working

predominantly tag team matches

where he can just stand there

and look imposing.

White:

I spent every day with him.

And I could see it

going this way.

He was in a lot of pain.

To look at him

in the rear view mirror,

he was-- you could see it

on his face, the pain he was in.

I'd say, "Boss, you all right?"

"Don't worry, boss."

He was so easy even though

he was suffering.

McMahon:

Andr's body was breaking down

and he could not perform.

So we could slow things down

for Andr

in the latter years,

and what have you.

But eventually it

does catch up with you,

and your career is over.

And it's difficult

for someone to accept that.

Andr got knocked out

of the game.

It was very hard on him...

you gotta remember

this was his life.

Now all of a sudden

where you're not in action,

you're introduced as a guest.

Andr didn't like that.

He kind of disappeared

off the scene

and was spending his time

more down in North Carolina,

kind of on the shelf.

McAuley:

As his physical health

started to deteriorate,

his knees and his back

were succumbing

to the weight of his body.

And he wasn't laughing

and joking as much.

I still think he had that...

that instinct, you know,

"I'm young at heart,

I love this business."

I think he wanted to be

out there with the fans.

He just loved this business,

and he lived for it.

I'm going to be here

for a long, long, long time.

That happens to a lot of us.

You know?

It happens to

a lot of the guys,

and Andr was our leader.

When his career was over,

he had no value, you know,

to himself.

( cheering )

"No longer. I'm not gonna

be around the boys

and socializing

and things of that nature.

I'm stuck here

in North Carolina,

and I was responsible for the

fact that business was good."

And everybody else

was going on without him.

Andr more or less

wanted to blame me

and resented me a bit

because he knew that

the business was going

to go on without him.

I think Andr resented

that a little bit too,

that his time was up, damn it.

You know?

And yet I was gonna continue on.

And sometimes it can even

be a situation whereby

"Well, you used me."

No longer, when I was

in Andr's presence,

no longer was it this loving,

warm, admiration

that we had for each other.

Wasn't there.

Laprade:

In December of 1992,

Andr's health

was getting worse.

He really, really

was in bad shape.

He was still growing,

but the organs,

and especially the heart,

weren't.

McAuley:

His father had been sick

and in and out of the hospital.

And he flew back to France.

( woman speaking French )

( man speaking French )

I get a call saying

that his father had passed

and he was staying there

for the funeral.

While he was

in his hometown,

he had been sitting

in the local bar/restaurant

with his friends.

The skin tone and texture

in the pictures...

he just looked so bad.

I don't know,

it's almost like he already

looked like he was dying.

( Hortense speaking French )

( man speaking French )

News Anchor:

One of the legends

of the professional

wrestling world

is dead tonight.

Andr Roussimoff,

better known

as Andr the Giant,

died of an apparent

heart attack in Paris.

News Anchor #2:

The professional wrestler

known as Andr the Giant

has died in Paris

of an apparent heart attack.

He was 46 years old.

We all have regrets in life,

but I wish...

There's no cryin'

in wrestlin'.

I wish

I could have been there.

With him.

He died all alone

in a hotel room.

I can't change that now,

can I?

Interviewer:

Do you remember the last time

you spoke with him?

Not specifically.

Um...

No, I don't.

I have a facility to...

to get rid of negatives

very quickly.

And if something hurts me,

I get rid of it.

Did Andr's passing affect

you more than other passings

that you've experienced?

More than what?

More than other passings

that--

Oh, God. ( sniffles )

He was special.

( birds singing )

( speaking French )

( Hortense speaking French )

Andr:

You never know, maybe tonight

will be my last night.

Maybe tomorrow will be

my last night,

and so I don't make any plans,

I just keep going.

He was like...

a brother.

He was like a big part of me.

How do you replace that?

He was the guy, and he always

will be the guy.

And I say all the time,

I don't want to be the champion,

I just want to be the Giant.

I just want

to be Andr the Giant.

Todd:

Andr never needed costuming.

He never needed to paint

his face or wear strange robes.

Announcer:

The single most

extraordinary athlete

of this or any other

generation...

Todd:

He was absolutely unique.

He was a figure

of the imagination

come to life.

Meltzer:

We're a myth-making people.

That's how

we understand ourselves

and the world around us.

He's not the only

real person

around whom

mythology has grown.

William Wallace,

Vlad the Impaler,

Davy Crockett.

These are real people

around whom

these incredible mythologies

grew over the years.

Andr the Giant

is one of those people.

He is at once a real human,

but at the same time

he's a mythological figure.

Andr:

I like to make everybody happy

and that's why I'm traveling

all over the world.

I want to make everybody

have the chance

to see the Giant,

and I want to say hello

to everybody.

( music playing )

Man:

This has been

a presentation of...

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