Steve Reeves

Also known as Stephen L. Reeves, Stephen Lester Reeves

American bodybuilder and actor (1926–2000)

Film & TV

Glasgow, Montana, USA

Steve Reeves is regarded by many as the greatest bodybuilder of all time for his legendary symmetrical physique, visionary bodybuilding techniques, dedication and love for the sport through which he won five bodybuilding titles between 1946 and 1950. His peak measurements were: 6'1" at 216 lbs. with 18½" arms, 52" chest, and a 29" waist, partly depicting his creation: "The Classic Physique."…

Known for

Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic — Self - Actor (archive footage)2019
Generation Iron 3 — Self (archive footage)2018
Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti1977
A Long Ride from Hell — Mike Sturges1968
The Pirates of Malaysia — Sandokan1964
Sandokan the Great — Sandokan1963
The Avenger — Enea/Aeneas1962
The Slave — Randus1962
Romulus and Remus — Romulus1961
The Thief of Baghdad — Karim1961

via TMDB

Key facts

Born: Stephen Lester Reeves , ( 1926-01-21 ) January 21, 1926, Glasgow, Montana , U.S.
Died: May 1, 2000 (2000-05-01) (aged 74), Escondido, California , U.S.
Occupations: Bodybuilder actor
Years active: 1949–1968
Spouses: Sandra Smith ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1955 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1956 ) Aline Czartjarwicz ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1963 ; died 1989 ) Deborah Ann Engelhorn ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1994 )

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Steve
Family name: Reeves
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Glasgow
Place of death: Escondido
Occupation: film producer
Languages spoken: English language
Native language: English language
Sport: bodybuilding
Conflict: World War II
Image: Stevereeves1990 CROP.jpg

Show 8 more facts

Commons category: Steve Reeves
date of birth: 1926-00-00
date of death: 2000-05-01
cause of death: lymphoma
manner of death: natural causes
start of work period: 1954-00-00
name in native language: Steve Reeves
writing language: English language

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~11 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Stephen Lester Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing muscular protagonists such as Hercules, Aeneas, and Sandokan. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe. Though best known for his portrayal of Hercules, he played the character only twice: in Hercules (1958), and in its 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. By 1960, Reeves was ranked as the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries.

Prior to his acting career, Reeves was a professional bodybuilder. Known for his symmetry, he reigned as Mr. America of 1947, Mr. World of 1948, and Mr. Universe of 1950 in the pre-Mr. Olympia era. Credited with popularising bodybuilding on a global level, he is regarded as one of the most influential bodybuilders of all time. He wrote three books on bodybuilding and physical training.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Steve Reeves” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.