Maurice Tillet, better known as The French Angel, was considered a major box office draw throughout the 1940s and a special attraction globally, but originally in Europe. Those familiar with his name and likeness likely associate him with the character Shrek, who may or may not be inspired by his unique appearance. Unfortunately, the depth of documentation and historical content on Maurice pales compared to many of the prominent names throughout the golden age of wrestling. Still, the goal today is to bring awareness to the life and times of The French Angel.

The Beginning

Maurice was officially born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 23, 1903. Still, conflicting reports claim he was born in the Ural Mountains though it may simply be a marketing component to his character. He was the only child of French parents.

His father passed away early in his life while Maurice moved with his mother to Moscow, where she taught language at a Catholic School.

During the Russian Revolution in 1917, Maurice’s mother decided to return to France, bringing her only son with her.

As documented by The French Angel Record Book, Maurice’s mother would lovingly reflect on her son:

“He was perfectly normal at birth, had a keen mind, an intelligent curiosity and a well-built body. He was a slim boy with blonde hair and an angelic face”

Into his late teens, Maurice’s physical attributes noticeably changed, including an enlarged head, hands, feet and chest. By his late teens, he was officially diagnosed with Acromegaly.

Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when your pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone.

Note: Andre The Giant, The Big Show and The Great Khali all suffered from Acromegaly, with the latter two having the pituitary gland removed to extend their lives

As a stark difference to the three men listed above, Maurice did not grow in height; instead, he experienced an enlargement of features with his bones increasing in size while his organs began to swell. He’s officially listed at just shy of 5’9’’ and weighing 270 pounds.

The French Angel — [Picture scanned from The Wrestler magazine]

Before venturing into wrestling, Maurice was an avid rugby player and active in most sports readily available throughout the 1920s. He also had ambitions of becoming a lawyer with his mom sent him to the Toulouse University of Law. Sadly, Maurice felt his physical appearance and deeper voice held him back, so he ultimately opted to join the French Navy.

There are screenshots and documentation that Tillet was cast in minor roles for several French films through his 20s. He would appear in the 1931 film "Soir De Rafle,” as “The Cannon Man.”

Professional Wrestling

There are conflicting stories regarding Maurice’s discovery. Still, in all accounts, it features wrestler/promoter Karl Pojello was drawn to Tillet’s appearance and immediately realized there was money to be made in his unique appearance.

Karl discovered Maurice in Paris while Tillet worked as a Doorman in one version.

In a second version, Karl was on a world tour, met Maurice on a set for a French movie company, and even arranged a grappling match, which Pojello easily won in under 2 minutes. Karl would request Maurice leave the movie business to travel worldwide while training him daily in catch-as-catch-can.

The “Angel” nickname would come from Maurice’s mother, which he used while wrestling throughout England in the late 1930s. His unusual appearance immediately attracted publicity, with thousands of fans eagerly jamming into the venue to witness this Angel attraction in person. At the time, it’s reported that the number was upwards of 20,000-30,000, undeniably massive for the 1930s.

Karl would take his special attraction, dubbed “The Angel,” with him as they toured England, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland. By this point, Paul Bowser was acting as Maurice’s promoter, with Karl filling his manager role. Collectively, they set their sights on making an impact in America.

It’s documented that Maurice made his official American debut on January 24, 1940, at Boston Garden against Luigi Bacigalupi. Havard scientists were reportedly chomping at the bit to see The Angel and even asked if they could study his measurements. According to Time Magazine, an impressive 7,000 wrestling fans witnessed his debut In the ring as The Angel defeated Luigi after two pinfalls.

Maurice became an instantly main event talent while also being positioned as ‘the freak of the ring.’

Due to his measurements, Maurice was labelled the “closest living specimen to that of Neanderthal man known to exist.“

Maurice Tillet was a villain during his time in America, but he was regarded as a respectful, intelligent, and compassionate human being.

By 1946, the Sandusky Register Star reported Maurice as the highest-paid sports figure.

The Later Years

Maurice spent the later years of his career living with his manager Karl Pojella and Karl’s wife, Olga.

Due to his years of smoking, Karl developed lung cancer, while Maurice dealt with an enlarged heart directly related to Acromegaly.

Karl passed away on September 4, 1954. It’s reported that upon Karl’s wife, Olga notifying Maurice of his passing, The French Angel determined that there was no reason for him to stay. Just 13 hours following the death of his friend, Maurice Tillet would also pass away. Many speculate Maurice died of a broken heart.

Thousands attended the combined funeral of both men as the two were buried side by side at the Lithuanian National Cemetery in Justice, Illinois.

The gravestone reads, “Friends whom even death couldn’t part.”

[Pic: The side by side graves of Maurice Tillet and Karolis Požėla aka Karl Pojello - viola.bz]

Legacy

Most articles about “The French Angel” Maurice Tillet bring up his uncanny resemblance to Dreamwork’s character, Shrek. While this has never been officially confirmed and could be coincidental, one cannot deny similar physical features between the two.

While Maurice Tillet will always be associated with his unmistakable appearance, his legacy should be tied to the fact he was a major box office attraction across Europe and America while also cementing himself as a proper special attraction several decades before the arrival of Andre The Giant.

Some people make the world unique just by being in it.