Lou Ferrigno's name is synonymous with the superhero character, Hulk. As a baby, he was diagnosed with permanent hearing loss. The disability made him the butt of jokes at school. However, he found strength to battle the disadvantage by taking up weight lifting and bodybuilding. He was able to prove himself by winning the ‘Teenage Mr. America’, and two consecutive ‘Mr. Universe’ and ‘Mr. America’ titles. He clashed with Arnold Schwarzenegger for Mr. Olympia title. Though he failed, their rivalry was made into a book and a film called ‘Pumping Iron’. The film rocketed the two strongmen to fame. Capitalizing on that fame, he won a breakthrough role in the TV serial, ‘The Incredible Hulk’. In the late eighties, he would reprise the character of Hulk in three of its sequels. He continued to be associated with the Hulk character in many other ways. He was cast as Hercules in the film, ‘Hercules’ and in its sequel, ‘The Adventures of Hercules’. Although he has retired from professional body building, he continues to act and makes appearances on TV shows. He also owns and runs a fitness equipment company.