Lou Ferrigno, best known for playing the Incredible Hulk in the classic television series, fulfilled a lifelong dream on Wednesday when he met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Ferrigno spoke briefly with the American-born pontiff at the end of the Pope’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square on September 30. The meeting was especially meaningful for the actor, who said he had dreamed of meeting the pope since childhood.
The 74-year-old actor and retired professional bodybuilder said he grew up in an Italian Catholic family and had relatives from the southern Amalfi region. He also served as an altar boy when he was young, contributing to his longstanding connection to the Catholic faith.
Ferrigno described the encounter as an emotional moment and said he was deeply honored to finally meet Pope Leo.
The actor also took time to recreate one of his most recognizable Hulk gestures for photographers, flexing his muscles in a playful nod to the character that made him internationally famous.
Ferrigno portrayed Bruce Banner’s powerful alter ego in the CBS television series “The Incredible Hulk,” which ran from 1977 to 1982. He later appeared in numerous television programs and films, including projects that were filmed in Rome.
Speaking about Pope Leo, Ferrigno praised the pontiff’s emphasis on kindness and peace. He said the message was particularly meaningful at a time of continuing turmoil around the world.
The Pope, whose name before his election was Robert Prevost, is also American and was born in Chicago. However, there was no indication that he was specifically a fan of Ferrigno’s Hulk series during its original television run.
By the time the series premiered in 1977, Prevost was completing his studies and entering the Augustinian religious order.
Pope Leo has previously spoken about watching another influential television figure with his family while growing up: Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the American Catholic preacher whose television programs were widely watched in the United States.
Ferrigno’s Vatican visit brought together two well-known American figures from very different worlds, with the actor marking a personal milestone during his encounter with the pontiff.
