Pumping Iron (1977) is symbolic of the golden era of bodybuilding. The superhit documentary saw the stark portrayal of the industry and represented bodybuilding in the true light of things. Moreover, it will not be wrong to say that Lou Ferrigno was portrayed as a grey character opposite the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, the director George Butler once stated that The Hulk couldn’t be the antagonist in Pumping Iron. 

Moreover, with Pumping Iron, the comparison between Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger became a grave topic of discussion in the community. When asked about Lou’s villain image in the docudrama, Butler explained his thought process by picturing him as a grey character. 

George Butler on portraying Lou Ferrigno as the villain

On the 40th Anniversary of Pumping Iron, George Butler revealed some unknown facts about the hit docudrama. He wanted to shoot the film on the Austrian bodybuilder capturing his journey of becoming the most iconic bodybuilder ever. Moreover, talking about Lou Ferrigno, Butler stated to portray him as the villain initially. However, Arnold realized soon that he was too “vulnerable” for the villain’s role. 

Butler further revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2017 about Lou Ferrigno, “Louie is a touching character. I knew early on that he couldn’t be a villain, but that he had a central part. Louie was perfect as the mock villain, however.“

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Pumping Iron perfectly captured the stark rivalry between Schwarzenegger and Lou. The competition between them was not just physical but psychological as well. Moreover, as the docudrama captured the prep styles of Arnold and Lou, fans were highly inspired by it. Reiterating the contrasting trajectory of mindset between the two, Butler added, “Arnold worked out on the beach, outdoors in sunshine, Louie in the gym, in the shadows—which is in the film, it was so perfect—Louie was bigger, darker, he was everything opposite of Arnold.”

Read More: “At the Crossroads”: Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Once Called Out Modern Day Bodybuilding Fiercely

After shooting the film halfway, Butler dropped the idea of portraying Lou as a villain since he realized that “Arnold is not the unequivocal star of the film.” Hence, he shot a few scenes of Arnold boasting about his ability to mentally manipulate his competition. The Austrian Oak once revealed that it was deliberately taken to tell a good story. However, Butler seemed to disagree with him in the interview. 

George Butler wanted bodybuilders to play themselves in the documentary

Butler disagreed with Schwarzenegger about fabricating the story to make it look balanced. The director had a different view in mind. Instead, he wanted to come up with scenes that could show the true self of the bodybuilders.

He stated, “You have to remember that I had done the book Pumping Iron (with writer Charles Gaines) before the movie, and I knew Arnold and the others very, very well. So we came up with situations that would allow them to play themselves, so to speak.”

Watch This Story | An unseen image of Arnold Schwarzenegger with his 2 stunt doubles

According to Butler, his main focus was to shoot the essence of competition and dramatic actions. He did not desire to show anything made up in Pumping Iron. Whom do you agree with—Butler or Schwarzenegger? Let us know in the comments!