Latest news with #Thunderlips
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘He put three men in hospital': Inside Hulk Hogan's bizarre, bruising Hollywood career
When Sylvester Stallone was making Rocky III, he need a monster villain to fight. He found one not in the world of boxing or even in Hollywood but in the wrestling ring. The 6ft 7in, 300lb Hulk Hogan. 'The Hulkster' – who has died at the age of 71 – was cast as Thunderlips ('the ultimate male'), a champion wrestler who fights Rocky in a boxer vs. wrestler exhibition match that turns to chaos. Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, would later say that Stallone was impressed by footage of him wrestling two men at once. Stallone should have known better when he insisted on doing his own stunts in the ring with Hogan. In the film, Rocky thinks it's all fake and is stunned when Thunderlips begins smashing him and throwing him around. In reality, Stallone quickly felt the power of what wrestling fans call 'Hulkamania'. Stallone later described how Hogan threw him into the corner of the ring and charged 'like an enraged bull'. Hulk jumped so high that his leg blasted Stallone in the chest, dropping the 'Italian Stallion' to the mat. 'I was afraid to look at my shoulder for about 10 minutes,' recalled Stallone. 'I said, 'Don't roll me over, don't move me' because I was sure there was bone protruding through my upper chest!' In the film, the fight spills into the crowd. According to Stallone, Hogan put three stuntmen in the hospital filming that scene. 'Hulk, if you're reading this,' wrote Stallone in 2017, 'it was a privilege to be mangled by such a gentleman.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) The Thunderlips cameo put a mainstream spotlight on Hulk Hogan, whose indefinable, force-of-nature charisma transformed wrestling. The WWF wrestling promotion (now WWE) became a zeitgeisty cultural phenomenon and, in time, a global powerhouse. And over the course of a 30-year career as an active wrestler, led him to sell more tickets than any top wrestling star in history. In the Eighties and Nineties, Hogan made further attempts to grapple with the film industry, pitching himself as a poor imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop mode. Later, Hogan resorted to direct-to-video and TV movie dreck. But as daft and bizarre as his movies often were, he led the charge for other WWE stars who made the jump to movies: John Cena, Dave Bautista, and – of course – Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Rocky III Before landing the role of Thunderlips, Hogan wrestled for the WWF as a nasty villain – originally with his chest hair shaved into an atomic mushroom cloud. But he had a bust-up with Vince McMahon Sr, the company owner who didn't want him to do the film. So he left the wrestling promotion. The Hulkster bet on himself and won. 'I'm gonna make Rocky III the movie of the year,' Hogan boasted at the time. He wasn't far wrong – it was the fifth biggest box office hit of 1982. Hogan appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to promote the film and started spreading word about the latest fad in wrestling – 'Hulkamania' – to the masses. By the time Rocky III was released, Hogan was already the biggest ticket-selling attraction in the wrestling world. He returned to the WWF, now owned by McMahon's son, Vince McMahon Jr, and became the company's champion in 1984. Vince Jr had a vision to take the New York-based promotion national and obliterate rival wrestling promotions in the process, with Hogan as his marquee star. No Holds Barred For the next few years, Hogan did tremendous business at the wrestling box office, but he had designs on leg-dropping his way into Hollywood. McMahon was terrified of losing his moustachioed, 24-inch biceped golden goose and produced a movie himself for Hogan to star in: No Holds Barred. Hogan plays Rip Thomas, a champion wrestler who goes to war with an evil TV network boss, Brell (Kurt Fuller). Brell is jealous of Rip's monster TV ratings and enlists the monstrous, monobrowed Zeus (Tiny Lister) to fight him. Though barely remembered outside of wrestling circles, No Holds Barred is notorious among grapple fans. Not so bad it's good, but so bad it's absolutely abysmal. Writing in his memoir, largely a work of self-aggrandising fiction, Hogan recalled that he and McMahon were unhappy with the script so locked themselves in a hotel room for three days and rewrote it. They got writer's block over the climactic fight between Rip and Zeus, but the scene suddenly struck Hogan like a vision while he was sitting on the toilet. That could account for the film's most cited scene. Brell's henchmen attempt to kidnap Rip in a limousine but he bursts through the roof of a limo and snarls so menacingly that one henchman soils himself. 'What's that smell?' growls Rip. According to reports in the Wrestling Observer at the time, the film was screened for potential distributors but most walked out before the film even finished. New Line Cinema took it on for free but had to persuade cinemas to show the film by offering them a very generous deal on the next Nightmare on Elm Street sequel. McMahon and Hogan made various claims about the budget – between $7m and $11m – though the Wrestling Observer believed it was actually $1.5 million. No Holds Barred didn't do badly at the box office. Released in June 1989, it made $5m in its opening weekend and $16m in total. Critically, however, it resembled the contents of that poor henchman's undergarments. Gremlins 2 and Suburban Commando In 1990, the Hulkster had a fourth-wall breaking cameo in Gremlins 2, by far his best non-Rocky film appearance. Hogan sits in a cinema and is outraged to learn there are Gremlins in the projection booth. 'Do you think the gremsters can stand up to the Hulkster?' he says as he rips off his shirt, as he always did before his matches. New Line Cinema saw potential in Hogan as a movie star and produced Suburban Commando as a star vehicle for him. Co-starring Shelly Duvall and Christopher Lloyd, Suburban Commando was Hogan's first attempt at what might conceivably have been a mainstream hit. He plays Shep Ramsey, a heroic space warrior who crash lands in America and lives with a regular family. It's a spaceman version of Crocodile Dundee, with Hogan wandering around and not understanding earthling customs – which mostly amounts to falling off a skateboard, turning a car upside down, and flinging a cat in the air. Ahead of its release, Hogan was hit by the first of several scandals when Dr George Zahorian was indicted for supplying steroids to WWF wrestlers. Hogan's name was leaked as one of Zahorian's customers. It was a blow to his wholesome, all-American, family-friendly image, and it put a new perspective on his preachy catchphrase that told kids to 'train, say your prayers, and take your vitamins'. (Hogan was later embroiled in scandals over a sex tape and leaked audio of him using racist language.) The Suburban Commando release was pushed back and Hogan went on the Arsenio Hall talk show, which was his chance to admit to steroid use and beg for forgiveness. But Hogan denied using steroids – a blatant lie – and continued to lie on the film's publicity tour. As the years rolled on, Hogan became notorious for telling whoppers. New Line Cinema had committed to several films with Hogan – a move it may have regretted after counting up the Suburban Commando box office receipts. It was a flop, making just $8m from an $11m budget. Mr Nanny and beyond The next film was the 1993 Mr Nanny, which had potential as a Home Alone/Kindergarten Cop-esque comedy. He plays a wrestler who takes a job as a bodyguard for a tech boss but is terrorised by his new employer's prankster kids. The film was delayed after test screenings – never a good sign – and was another box office bomb. It failed to reach the top 10 and made just $4.2m. The indefinable, force-of-nature charisma that made him the biggest wrestling star ever didn't translate to movies. The Hulkster was – at best – a hokey actor. He found his level with a direct-to-video film, Thunder in Paradise, from the creators of Baywatch. He played an ex-Navy Seal who travels around exotic locations in a hi-tech boat, 'Thunder', and sorts out bad guys. It led to a 22-episode TV series – laughable Nineties twaddle that was aiming for something between Baywatch, Knightrider, and The A-Team. By this point, Hogan had gone to wrestle for the WWF's rival promotion, WCW (World Championship Wrestling), but maintained a side hustle in cheap, poor-quality films. In 1996, there was The Secret Agent Club, in which he plays a secret agent who steals a laser gun, and (a personal favourite) Santa with Muscles, in which the Hulkster is a mean-spirited millionaire bodybuilder who – through a series of contrivances – gets amnesia while wearing a Santa costume and ends up saving some orphans. More recently, Hogan hoped that his movie star dreams would play out in a long-rumoured biopic, set to star Chris Hemsworth as the Hulkster, with Todd Philips (The Joker) attached to direct. But the film never came to anything. Ultimately, his movie aspirations were overtaken by the likes of Cena, Bautista, and The Rock, who is tipped as a serious Oscar contender for his role in the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine. If he wins, Hulk Hogan should be the first person he thanks.
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Japan Times
Hulk Hogan, shirt-shredding superstar of pro wrestling, dies at 71
Hulk Hogan, whose flamboyance and star power helped transform professional wrestling from a low-budget regional attraction into a multibillion dollar industry, died Thursday in Clearwater, Florida. He was 71. Police and fire department personnel in Clearwater were called to Hogan's home on Clearwater Beach, where Hogan was treated for cardiac arrest, the police said in a "news alert' post on Facebook. He was taken to nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, they said. Hogan was the face of pro wrestling for decades, with his blond hair and horseshoe mustache, colorful bandannas and massive biceps, which he referred to as "24-inch pythons.' Even after his wrestling days were over, he remained in the spotlight, most recently when he spoke last year at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, tearing off his shirt to reveal a Trump/Vance shirt underneath. He was earlier involved in a high-profile lawsuit in 2012, bankrolled by billionaire Peter Thiel, against Gawker, the irreverent media company, after Gawker posted a video of Hogan having sex with a friend's wife. He won the case on invasion of privacy grounds, reaping millions in damages. Hogan's routine before a wrestling match was guaranteed to send fans into a frenzy. He would cup his hand to his ear to encourage the roaring crowd and tear off his shirt, which was pre-ripped to ease the process. Fans loved him as much for his charm and physique as for his old-fashioned grappling ability. Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea, on Aug. 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia. His father, Peter Bollea, was a construction foreman; his mother, Ruth (Moody) Bollea, was a dance teacher. He attended the University of South Florida but dropped out, choosing the wrestling mat over the classroom. He started wrestling in 1977. Like many in the sport, he was a big man, weighing 300 pounds in his prime. He was also exceptionally tall, 6-foot-8, helping to further a trend toward very big men in wrestling. He adopted the name "Hulk' because of comparisons to the muscular comic book character on the CBS television program "The Incredible Hulk.' In 1979, he made it to the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) and took on the alliterative last name Hogan. Those were the days when wrestling's good guys, or "faces,' were clean-cut all-American types, and a savvy fan could guess that a wrestler was going to turn bad by noticing his hair grow a little longer. In that environment, the longhaired, edgier Hogan clearly fit the bad guy, or "heel,' mode. He developed a rivalry with champion Bob Backlund, a traditional Midwestern milk-drinking good guy. Hogan catapulted to greater fame after appearing in the movie "Rocky III' in 1982. He played a wrestler, Thunderlips, who takes on Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) in a charity wrestler-versus-boxer match. The preening, egotistic Thunderlips batters an unprepared Rocky, throwing him out of the ring and into the crowd. Despite his brief screen time, Hogan created a character that stuck in viewers' minds, no mean feat in a film that also starred the bombastic Mr. T. After a brief time away, Hogan returned to the WWF in 1983. His popularity had grown so great that it seemed clear he was destined to be a good guy, despite his less-than-button-down appearance. His rebranding helped pave the way for broadening the face category to include all types of wrestlers. Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan, testifies in court during his trial against Gawker Media in St Petersburg, Florida on March 8, 2016. | Reuters Not every hardcore wrestling fan warmed to Hogan. Some considered his main strength to be showmanship rather than wrestling ability. He was named most overrated wrestler by the insider magazine Wrestling Observer several times in his career. But the bulk of wrestling fandom was hardly concerned about a supposed lack of technical prowess and got on board with the phenomenon that became known as Hulkamania. "In blasé Manhattan, where the likes of Jackie O. and Mr. T have been observed walking the streets unhindered,' The New York Times wrote in 1984, "Hulk Hogan cannot go 10 feet.' The WWF gave Hogan a patriotic persona: He developed rivalries with the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, who represented the United States' global rivals Iran and the Soviet Union (never mind that Volkoff was actually Croatian). Hogan started arriving at matches accompanied by the song "Real American' by Rick Derringer and began urging fans to take their vitamins. Despite that exhortation, he admitted in 1994 that his physique was partly the result of taking steroids. Hogan held the WWF's title belt many times over the years, including a four-year stretch in the mid-1980s, an epic period of dominance in an ever-changing sport. He regularly filled arenas around the country, and big events at which he was the headliner, like WrestleMania, could easily fill stadiums. The thousands in the stands eagerly awaited a Hogan victory, which often involved "Hulking up': A seemingly defeated Hogan would turn things around by absorbing the blows of his opponent, each one somehow making him stronger. Hogan's finishing move was often the leg drop, in which he would bounce off the rope, leap in the air and land, leg first, on a prone opponent. Few foes lasted long after that move. Wrestling stardom is never just about in-ring performance, and Hogan excelled in another key area: on-camera interviews. He would appear to be in a passionate frenzy, but remained controlled beneath the surface, delivering the story line of the day. A trademark was calling the audience "brother' in a gravelly voice. After winning the title in 1984, Hogan told interviewer Gene Okerlund: "It is the dream of a lifetime, daddy. This is like going to the mountaintop 1,000 times over. I feel the energy. Hulkamania's running worldwide!' Shortly afterward, he was doused in champagne by Andre the Giant. But their friendship would not last forever. In 1987, in perhaps Hogan's most memorable match, at the height of Hulkamania, he was matched up against Andre at WrestleMania III, at the Silverdome in Michigan. Andre, a longtime fan favorite, had recently turned heel. Andre was said not to have lost in the ring for 15 years. But Hogan defeated him. The result of the match, like all pro-wrestling bouts, was predetermined, but that did not diminish the impact of the bout's biggest moment: Hogan body slammed the 500-pound Andre. Hogan had hit peak stardom, and crossed over into starring in movies. He played a wrestler in "No Holds Barred' (1989) and an ex-wrestler-turned-caregiver in "Mr. Nanny' (1993). He also starred as a mercenary in the television series "Thunder in Paradise.' Once his film and television career began to fade, Hogan moved to World Championship Wrestling in 1994 and developed a whole new set of rivalries, including one with Ric Flair, the dominant wrestler for years in that organization. Wrestling mostly as a heel, Hogan formed a group of wrestlers called the New World Order and called himself "Hollywood' Hogan. He returned to the newly renamed WWE in 2002, and later left and returned several more times, wrestling for other companies in between. In 2005, he appeared in the reality series "Hogan Knows Best,' along with his wife at the time, Linda (Claridge) Hogan, and his children, Brooke (Hogan) Oleksy, a singer, and Nick Hogan, a race car driver. They survive him, along with his third wife, Sky Daily, and two grandchildren. He was in the public eye in a less savory way in 2012, during his lawsuit against Gawker, backed by Thiel, the Republican political patron, whom the site had outed as gay a decade earlier. Hogan contended that by posting the video, Gawker had invaded his privacy; Gawker said it was newsworthy. A jury sided with Hogan, awarding him $140 million in 2016; the case was eventually settled for $31 million, and Gawker Media filed for bankruptcy. In 2015, a tape of Hogan using racial slurs emerged. He apologized, but was dismissed from the WWE. He returned to WWE shows in 2018. Throughout the craziness of Hulkamania, Hogan said he tried to maintain normalcy. "The moment I come home, the headband comes off the bald head, and it's just Terry: dad, father, husband, friend,' he told the talk show "The 700 Club' in 2024. "The problem is, the moment I leave the house, the moment I walk out the front door, the world doesn't want Terry. The mailman goes, 'Hey, Hulk.' So instead of saying 'Good morning, sir,' I say, 'Hey, brother, how you doing?'' This article originally appeared in The New York Times © 2025 The New York Times Company
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Wrestling Ropes Couldn't Constrain Hulk Hogan
With his flowing blond mane, bulking muscles and patriotic persona, Hulk Hogan was one of the first mainstream stars in the earliest iteration of World Wrestling Entertainment, helping propel a regional and fractured sport into an international juggernaut watched by millions. Hogan, who died Thursday at 71, was instrumental to the rise of professional wrestling in the 1980s, becoming a crossover figure who appeared in movies, late-night talk shows and commercials. His journey laid the blueprint for Dwayne Johnson, John Cena and others to travel the now-familiar pathway between wrestling and Hollywood. Here are some key moments showcasing how Hogan parlayed athletic success into acting gigs and endorsement deals. 1982 'Rocky III' Hogan was still early in his wrestling career when he accepted his first acting role, stepping into 'Rocky III' to spar with Sylvester Stallone. The role in a major movie franchise introduced Hogan to a wider audience and presaged his wrestling ascent. In the movie, Hogan played a wrestler known as Thunderlips who took on Rocky (Stallone) in a match for charity. Thunderlips was not unlike Hogan's wrestling persona: Even in limited screen time, he is bloviating and egocentric, calling himself 'the ultimate male' and praising the size of his muscular arms. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hulk Hogan's best movie roles, including 'Rocky III' (Thunderlips is here!)
Hollywood Hulk Hogan was more than just a nickname that Hulk Hogan embraced during his villainous heel turn days as a professional wrestler. The flamboyant 6-foot-7-inch Hogan (born Terry Gene Bollea) embraced Tinseltown, body-slamming into movies after throwing Sylvester Stallone's Rocky around the ring as giant wrestler Thunderlips in 1982's "Rocky III." Hollywood didn't always hug him back. Hogan, who died on July 24 at 71, the gaudy patriarch of the VH1 reality series "Hogan Knows Best" (2005-07), never achieved the movie-crossover success of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He also leveled critics while setting the wrong kind of box-office records with some of his over-the-top films. But with his flowing blond hair, muscle-bulging physique and larger-than-life persona, Hogan made movie impact – even if it was often a crashing sound. Here are Hogan's most memorable roles. 'Thunderlips is here!' announced Hulk Hogan's 'Rocky III' entrance Hogan's bicep-kissing entrance as Thunderlips in the third "Rocky" movie and his ensuing ring battle are brief but unforgettable. Billing himself as "the ultimate male," Hogan bellowed, "Thunderlips is here!" entering the ring in a charity match against Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Described as "nearly 7 feet tall" by the ring announcer, Thunderlips towered over Rocky before throwing the heavyweight around like a tomato can. Naturally, Rocky impossibly triumphed in the charity mismatch. But what a movie entrance, in a prime Hollywood franchise! 'No Holds Barred' (1989): Cult classic that brought 'Rip 'em!' Hogan's first lead movie role, as wrestler Rip Thomas, was tailor-made for his wrestling persona. Though critically panned, "No Holds Barred" became a cult favorite among wrestling fans due to its over-the-top ring theatrics, villains like Zeus (former NFL star Tom 'Tiny' Lister), and Rip's wrestling ring battle cry of, wait for it, "Rip 'em." It might just be the best bad movie ever. Hogan crash-landed on Earth in 'Suburban Commando' (1991) Hogan starred as intergalactic warrior Shep Ramsey, forced to lie low in American suburbia after a spaceship crash-landed in the action comedy. The pro-wrestler/alien-out-of-water movie was a box-office dud and a critical disaster. Packed with sci-fi gadgets incorporating groan-worthy special effects, slapstick humor, and early roles for Christopher Lloyd and Shelley Duvall (along with a young Elisabeth Moss), "Suburban Commando" found a second life on home video. Hogan later made an interstellar cameo appearance in "Muppets from Space" (1999), portraying himself as a "Man in Black." Hogan guarded kids in 'Mr. Nanny' (1993) On the heels of Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Kindergarten Cop" (1990), Hogan played for kiddie-induced action laughs as former wrestler Sean Armstrong, who's tasked with serving as a bodyguard to two unruly kids. "Mr. Nanny" was another box-office bomb ($4.3 million) and critical dud that found renewed life on home video. Hogan ho ho ho-ed the line in 'Santa with Muscles' (1996) There had to be a Hulk Hogan Santa Claus movie (with biceps). Hogan played Blake Thorn, a conceited millionaire who truly believes he is Santa Claus after escaping from police in a mall Santa outfit. Despite an early film appearance by Mila Kunis and the best '90s Bad Santa line ever ("Fax me, you little brat"), "Santa with Muscles" was critically derided and an extreme box-office lump of coal with a total of $220,000 during two weeks in theaters. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hulk Hogan's best movies roles, from 'Rocky III' to 'Mr. Nanny'
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Hulk Hogan's best movie roles, including 'Rocky III' (Thunderlips is here!)
Hollywood Hulk Hogan was more than just a nickname that Hulk Hogan embraced during his villainous heel turn days as a professional wrestler. The flamboyant 6-foot-7-inch Hogan (born Terry Gene Bollea) embraced Tinseltown, body-slamming into movies after throwing Sylvester Stallone's Rocky around the ring as giant wrestler Thunderlips in 1982's "Rocky III." Hollywood didn't always hug him back. Hogan, who died on July 24 at 71, the gaudy patriarch of the VH1 reality series "Hogan Knows Best" (2005-07), never achieved the movie-crossover success of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He also leveled critics while setting the wrong kind of box-office records with some of his over-the-top films. But with his flowing blond hair, muscle-bulging physique and larger-than-life persona, Hogan made movie impact – even if it was often a crashing sound. Here are Hogan's most memorable roles. 'Thunderlips is here!' announced Hulk Hogan's 'Rocky III' entrance Hogan's bicep-kissing entrance as Thunderlips in the third "Rocky" movie and his ensuing ring battle are brief but unforgettable. Billing himself as "the ultimate male," Hogan bellowed, "Thunderlips is here!" entering the ring in a charity match against Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Described as "nearly 7 feet tall" by the ring announcer, Thunderlips towered over Rocky before throwing the heavyweight around like a tomato can. Naturally, Rocky impossibly triumphed in the charity mismatch. But what a movie entrance, in a prime Hollywood franchise! 'No Holds Barred' (1989): Cult classic that brought 'Rip 'em!' Hogan's first lead movie role, as wrestler Rip Thomas, was tailor-made for his wrestling persona. Though critically panned, "No Holds Barred" became a cult favorite among wrestling fans due to its over-the-top ring theatrics, villains like Zeus (former NFL star Tom 'Tiny' Lister), and Rip's wrestling ring battle cry of, wait for it, "Rip 'em." It might just be the best bad movie ever. Hogan crash-landed on Earth in 'Suburban Commando' (1991) Hogan starred as intergalactic warrior Shep Ramsey, forced to lie low in American suburbia after a spaceship crash-landed in the action comedy. The pro-wrestler/alien-out-of-water movie was a box-office dud and a critical disaster. Packed with sci-fi gadgets incorporating groan-worthy special effects, slapstick humor, and early roles for Christopher Lloyd and Shelley Duvall (along with a young Elisabeth Moss), "Suburban Commando" found a second life on home video. Hogan later made an interstellar cameo appearance in "Muppets from Space" (1999), portraying himself as a "Man in Black." Hogan guarded kids in 'Mr. Nanny' (1993) On the heels of Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Kindergarten Cop" (1990), Hogan played for kiddie-induced action laughs as former wrestler Sean Armstrong, who's tasked with serving as a bodyguard to two unruly kids. "Mr. Nanny" was another box-office bomb ($4.3 million) and critical dud that found renewed life on home video. Hogan ho ho ho-ed the line in 'Santa with Muscles' (1996) There had to be a Hulk Hogan Santa Claus movie (with biceps). Hogan played Blake Thorn, a conceited millionaire who truly believes he is Santa Claus after escaping from police in a mall Santa outfit. Despite an early film appearance by Mila Kunis and the best '90s Bad Santa line ever ("Fax me, you little brat"), "Santa with Muscles" was critically derided and an extreme box-office lump of coal with a total of $220,000 during two weeks in theaters.
