Stephen Lester Reeves was an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and philanthropist.
36 Facts About Steve Reeves
2.
Steve Reeves was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan.
3.
Steve Reeves developed an interest in bodybuilding at Castlemont High School and trained at Ed Yarick's gym in Oakland, California.
4.
Steve Reeves reigned as Mr America of 1947, Mr World of 1948, and Mr Universe of 1950 in the pre Mr Olympia era.
5.
Steve Reeves was contacted by an agent who suggested he go into acting.
6.
Steve Reeves moved to New York where he studied acting under Stella Adler, but after arguments he was refunded his tuition.
7.
Steve Reeves studied instead at the Theodora Irvin School of the Theatre.
8.
Steve Reeves stated that De Mille wanted to cast him in the lead role, but told Steve Reeves he had to lose 15 pounds in order to look convincing on-camera.
9.
Steve Reeves says he tried to lose the weight and worked on his acting in preparation for the role over three months.
10.
In 1949, Steve Reeves filmed a Tarzan-type television pilot called Kimbar of the Jungle, and in 1950 became Mr Universe.
11.
Steve Reeves appeared on television in Stars Over Hollywood in the episode "Prison Doctor" with Raymond Burr.
12.
In 1954, Steve Reeves had a small supporting role as a cop in the Ed Wood film Jail Bait.
13.
Steve Reeves guest-starred on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show as the owner of a gym.
14.
In 1955, Steve Reeves appeared in two Broadway shows, Kismet and The Vamp.
15.
Steve Reeves worked for American Health Studios in public relations, opening up fitness studios.
16.
Steve Reeves's daughter recommended Reeves on the basis of his appearance in Athena and Francisci offered him the role and a plane ticket to Italy.
17.
However this did not happen until Steve Reeves had already made four more films in Europe.
18.
Steve Reeves was paid the same fee, although his wage would double from then on.
19.
Steve Reeves played Hadji Murad, a 19th-century Avar naib who led his warriors in raids against the Russians invading his homelands in the North Caucasus.
20.
Steve Reeves played Emilio in Terror of the Barbarians, about the Lombard invasion of Italy.
21.
American International Pictures bought US rights and retitled it Goliath and the Barbarians, with Steve Reeves's character renamed "Goliath".
22.
Steve Reeves was Glaucus Leto in The Last Days of Pompeii, based on the novel by Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
23.
Steve Reeves followed this with The Giant of Marathon where he was cast as Pheidippides, the famous wartime messenger of the Battle of Marathon.
24.
Steve Reeves had a change of pace in Morgan, the Pirate where he played pirate and self-proclaimed governor of Jamaica, Captain Henry Morgan.
25.
Steve Reeves then did an "Eastern", The Thief of Baghdad, playing Karim, directed by Arthur Lubin.
26.
Steve Reeves co-starred with fellow body builder Gordon Scott in Duel of the Titans, playing Romulus and Remus respectively.
27.
Steve Reeves played Randus, the son of Spartacus in The Slave then reprised his role as Aeneas in The Avenger aka The Legend of Aeneas.
28.
Steve Reeves played Sandokan in two films, both directed by Umberto Lenzi: Sandokan the Great and Pirates of Malaysia.
29.
Steve Reeves said that by this stage his fee was $250,000 a film.
30.
Steve Reeves reportedly turned down the James Bond role in Dr No because of the low salary the producers offered.
31.
Steve Reeves declined the role that finally went to Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars because he did not believe that Italians could make a western out of a Japanese samurai film.
32.
Steve Reeves decided to retire for several reasons: stress, his injury, and the decline in the market for his sort of movies.
33.
Steve Reeves later purchased a ranch in Valley Center, California.
34.
Steve Reeves was reportedly to promote the book at public appearances.
35.
Steve Reeves wrote the book Powerwalking, and two self-published books, Building the Classic Physique - The Natural Way, and Dynamic Muscle Building.
36.
Steve Reeves had exploratory surgery late Friday afternoon on April 28,2000, and died shortly before noon on Monday, May 1,2000, from a blood clot.