The dream of following a professional career, a life completely transformed by illness, and an unexpected road to fame define the story of Maurice Tillet, a Frenchman born in Russia who became a wrestling star in the 1940s. His appearance and movements have made him widely regarded as the inspiration for Shrek, and although no one at DreamWorks has acknowledged the influence, the images and videos say it all.
From the Urals to France
Maurice Tillet was born in October 1903 in the Ural Mountains. His French father, a railway engineer, died when he was still a child, while his mother, also French, was a teacher. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Tillet and his mother traveled to France and settled in Reims.
At the age of 20, Tillet underwent drastic changes in his body, beginning with severe swelling in his hands, feet, and head. The diagnosis was acromegaly, an excessive secretion of growth hormone caused by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland. Tillet had intended to become a lawyer, but the disease closed that door permanently, and he ended up in the French navy, where he served as an engineer for five years.
The French Angel in the Ring
It was in February 1937 that Tillet first came into contact with the world of professional wrestling. In Singapore he met the professional wrestler Karl Pojello, who insisted he should be part of the business. The two moved to Paris to train, and Tillet advanced in his new career for two years, but the fury of the Second World War forced them to cross the Atlantic. In 1940, Tillet was "The French Angel," and he remained "undefeated" for more than a year and a half, holding the AWA world heavyweight title. His success gave rise to an entire new generation of "angels" in wrestling.
From 1945 onward, Tillet lost his invincible profile due to his health problems, but managed to keep wrestling until February 1953.
The Inspiration for Shrek?
Tillet passed away a year and a half later from cardiovascular disease. He was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012, and since the release of the animated comedy Shrek (2001), the web has been convinced that Tillet served as the inspiration for the development of the unforgettable ogre. Of course, no one at DreamWorks has come out to confirm or deny the similarity—perhaps to avoid a potential legal conflict—but it's hard to think it's a mere coincidence.
