He is an unknown figure, whose name will probably not mention anything, but who has marked the history of cinema! Maurice Tillet’s face inspired one of the most emblematic characters in animation cinema: Shrek.
Born in 1903 in the Urals, Maurice Tillet lost his father’s father very young. In 1917, the Russian revolution forced his mother and he was settling in Reims. With an angelic face, there are many friends. But at 20, his life changes when diagnosed with acromegalya rare disease that deforms her body and his face.
Fleeing mockery in France, Maurice Tillet moved to the United States where he becomes a professional wrestler under the name of The French Angel. His imposing stature and his atypical face earned him an international renown. World champion in 1944it remains undefeated for more than a year and a half, inspiring other wrestlers with the same disease.
Before his death at 51, Maurice Tillet accepts that his face be immortalized in plaster for science. This face, exposed to Chicago, would have inspired that of Shrek, the green ogre of DreamWorks. Although the studio has never confirmed it, the resemblance is striking. Maurice Tillet, this man with a singular destiny, continues to live through this iconic character.
-
Read more
