Famous actors who played The Hulk, Superman both will appear at ICT Comic Con
When Lou Ferrigno meets fans at this weekend’s ICT Comic Con, he’ll be able to fully understand and enjoy everything they’re saying.
The 70-year-old bodybuilder-turned-actor, best known for his title role in the 1978-82 TV series “The Incredible Hulk,” lost 75-80% of his hearing as a child. Last year, he received a cochlear implant.
“It was phenomenal,” he said from his home in Los Angeles. “It’s a life-changing experience because it gave me such clarity. I’ve been dealing with hearing aids my whole life.
“The best hearing aid in the world gives you magnification, but it doesn’t give you clarity like a cochlear implant,” he added.
Mocked and bullied by other children growing up because of his hearing and speech difficulties, Ferrigno turned to comic books like Hulk and Spider-Man to give him a feeling of power.
That’s part of the reason he enjoys going to Comic Cons like this weekend’s at Century II.
“They give me a chance to meet the fans I’ve never met before. It’s instant gratification because when I was a kid, I wish I had a Con to attend,” Ferrigno said. “There’s three decades of fans that come up for Q&As, and you get the chance to talk to them and take pictures.”
Ferrigno said he enjoys the conversations with fans.
“Sometimes they’ll tell me stories about how the Hulk affected their lives,” he said. “They’ll tell me about when they were a kid pretending to be Hulk and got green makeup on the couch.”
Although now he’s synonymous with the comic book icon, Ferrigno wasn’t originally cast in the role. That went to Richard Kiel, a 7-foot-2 actor best known as Jaws in the James Bond movies.
“He didn’t fit the part, so they had to reshoot the pilot,” Ferrigno recalled. “They brought me in, and I went for the audition because I knew I had to get started somewhere as an actor. I never told anyone, but I had the ability when I was filming the series to be acting without speaking. I showed emotion, and that came natural. It was a great platform for me.”
Ferrigno said he didn’t realize how big the show had become until the second season, when a knock on his dressing room trailer turned out to be from acting icon Cary Grant, who brought his nephew to meet him.
“I realized the impact my show had all over the world. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “He must have really thought I was the Hulk because I was so ecstatic, I couldn’t speak.”
Getting into the green Hulk makeup took 3 ½ hours every day, Ferrigno said.
“I was the first one on the set and the last one to leave,” he said. “The difficult thing is the makeup had to be retouched all day long because it would become dry and start to get brittle. It was extremely uncomfortable.
“I dreaded the makeup,” Ferrigno added. “But when it was over I was a completely different person.”
Ferrigno continues to act, with more than 40 films to his credit. He’s proud of an upcoming miniseries on the Paramount+ streaming service called “The Offer,” about the making of “The Godfather” movies. Ferrigno plays wrestler-turned-actor Lenny Montana, who played hitman Luca Brasi in the classic film.
“I was a big fan of ‘The Godfather’ and Lenny Montana,” he said. “I was 20 years old when I saw the movie, and now 50 years later, I get to play him, and I’m ecstatic about it.”
Ferrigno also has an upcoming movie with Dean Cain, who played the Man of Steel in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” from 1993-1997 and will also be a guest of the ICT Comic Con on Saturday only.
Comic Con director Richard Cathey says that in its sixth year, the lineup of celebrities is the convention’s biggest and best yet.
“We think we’ve got some real heavy hitters,” Cathey said. “I’m really excited about Lou Ferrigno. On my personal list, he’s one of the top five guests I’ve wanted to have, so I’m happy to have him.”
Another big name appearing is wrestling legend Jerry “The King” Lawler. Cathey said he’ll fit in well with the crowd expected at Century II.
“He’s kind of a renaissance man. He’s a comic book fan, he’s got a replica 1960s Batmobile, he’s got a Superman room at his house. He’s really connected to the comic community,” Cathey said. “It’s good to have a guest like that who knows what we’re about.”
Also appearing are Disney and Lucasfilm artist Craig Skaggs; DC, Marvel and Disney artist Rick Stasi, and Warner Brothers Games creator Adrian Ropp.
For the fans, new this year will be “photo ops,” Cathey said, where fans can get their picture with one of the celebrities taken, printed out within 15 minutes, and signed by the star.
“They’ll have a really special memento to take home with them,” Cathey said, adding that fans can also get selfies with the celebrities. The prices vary for each performer.
ICT COMIC CON
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 5; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 6
Where: Century II Exhibition Hall, 225 W. Douglas
Tickets: $12 in advance or a $20 weekend pass for adults; $8 advance for youth; children 12 and younger free, at wichitatix.com