“The Incredible Hulk” called me directly. No publicist. No “Hulk”-like anger. Very businesslike.
Lou Ferrigno told me Dragoncon is one of his favorite shows to do: "It's a gathering of great fans, a great celebration of different art forms. And people come from all over. It's the best convention of its type in the South. I just love the way people dress."
Lou Ferrigno:
- An American icon, as he calls himself
- Not quite an icon, more a pop culture trivia question
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The two favorite fan topics are the Hulk and his fitness regiment. And of course, people enjoy getting photos taken with him. (I’m not sure how much he’s going to charge on the Walk of Fame for autographs and pictures. I’m going to do a blog entry tomorrow comparing prices of various stars. It’s how many of these folks make money nowadays.)
Plus, they now tell Ferrigno how much they enjoyed his role playing a fictional version of himself in the film “I Love You Man.”
“I made a lot of money,” he said with discernible glee.
And like 500 other people in Hollywood, Ferrigno is pitching a reality show. His idea is to show a family each week the “Ferrigno” method of fitness and health. He said he’s in talks with cable networks and may have a deal very very soon.
He’s been offered all sorts of reality shows in the past, but he wants “to do something positive. Because I’m an American icon. I don’t want to embarrass myself. I want to gain respect.”
Ferrigno offered himself up to “Dancing With the Stars” and was chagrined when he wasn’t chosen this round. “I had a great meeting with them,” he said. “But apparently they wanted to pick who they wanted. Maybe I’ll do it next season.”
He said he can waltz and do some ballroom dance when he was younger. “I’m a great athlete. I know how to dance.”
He enjoyed past seasons when folks like Cloris Leachman and Wayne Newton strutted their stuff. "I'd rather see people facing greater challenges," he said. "That's more interesting to me than Olympic athletes."
Ferrigno is still saddened by the death of his friend Michael Jackson a few weeks ago. "I was shocked and devastated," he said. "It wasn't his time to go.
He actually helped Jackson get into physical shape. The last time he saw him was three weeks before he died. “I thought he was going to really pull it off,” he said. “He was motivated. He was excited coming back after all these years. But I think the stress killed him. He owed so much money.”
Ferrigno’s favorite moment working with Jackson. “He taught me to do the moonwalk!”
Here’s a
Lou from the film taking down
Jason Segal
but I won’t embed it because it includes a few naughty words.
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