Though DreamWorks has not officially confirmed this, rumors suggest Maurice Tillet is the real Shrek.
The uncanny resemblance between Maurice and fan-favorite Sherk can easily make one believe he is the real-life Shrek, except for the green ogre skin.
But appearance isn’t the only thing they have in common; both have a devastating backstory. Moreover, Maurice Tillet got a Shrek-like look because he was suffering from a rare disease.
Shrek
IMDb Animation Adventure ComedyA mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back.
| Creator | Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson |
| Release Date | April 22, 2001 |
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Cast | Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz |
| Writers | William Steig, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio |
| Runtime | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Rating | PG |
Real-life Shrek, Maurice Tillet was diagnosed with Acromegaly at 17
Maurice Tillet was born in Russia on October 23, 1903, to his teacher mother and a railroad engineer father, whom he lost at a young age. As his family moved to France, he grew up in the countryside near Reims.
His friends nicknamed Maurice ‘The French Angel’ because of his blonde hair and angelic face.
Unfortunately, at the age of 17, Maurice was diagnosed with a rare disease, Acromegaly, which caused swelling of the face, hands, and feet, as per HuffPost. Here, Acromegaly is a rare condition where the body produces excess growth hormones that cause rapid thickening of the bones.
Although Maurice Tillet wanted to be a lawyer and even pursued a law degree at the University of Toulouse, he abandoned his law career due to his Shrek-like looks.
Later, he became a professional wrestler in the ’30s and ’40s with an undefeated streak of over 19 months, as per Ladbible. The disease eventually caught up with him, and the wrestler passed away in 1953.
Given the saddening story of Maurice, it is reasonable why many think DreamWorks 2001 movie Shrek took inspiration from him.
Nevertheless, despite the rumor circulating for so long, DreamWorks never confirmed if Maurice Tillet was the inspiration behind Shrek. So, it could only be a great coincidence.
Additional Information
- As per several reports, The wrestler Maurice Tillet married his wife, Olga.
- During his prime wrestling reign, he was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 276 lbs. Moreover, he could speak in 14 languages fluently.
