Before there was André the Giant, there was another wrestler who has made history for their appearance. Known as The French Angel, Maurice Tillet was actually Russian but trained in Paris, France (he had moved to France in 1917 due to the Russian Revolution) and wrestled in France and England before moving to the United States. At the age of 20, Maurice noticed that this hands, feet and head were swelling and when he went to the doctor, he was diagnosed with acromegaly. The doctor told him that his acromegaly was caused by a harmless tumour in the pituitary gland (the part of the brain that controls growth and development) which caused his bones to overgrow and thicken. Coincidently, André the Giant also had the condition but Maurice's full height was 5 foot 9. The condition and his deep voice had discouraged Maurice (on his own terms) from becoming a lawyer and for some time, he was working as an engineer in the navy. Maurice Tillet baffled American scientists as usually, those with his condition don't live past the of 30. In fact, Tillet lived to be 50 before dying a month before his 51st birthday in 1954. While it hasn't been confirmed by DreamWorks, some folk like to think that Tillet was the inspiration for Shrek.