Lou Ferrigno, 'The Incredible Hulk,' Meets Pope Leo XIV

Lou Ferrigno, the actor best known for portraying the Hulk, met with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday in Vatican City, fulfilling a childhood dream.

Ferrigno, who starred as the Marvel character in the television series from 1977–1982, spoke briefly with the pontiff at the conclusion of Leo XIV's general audience in St. Peter's Square. Ferrigno cited his Catholic upbringing and his family’s Italian heritage as reasons for his lifelong desire to meet the pope.

“I’m very, very honored to be here to see Pope Leo, because it’s my whole life, it’s a dream coming true,” Ferrigno told reporters. He posed for photographs, flexing his arm muscles in a gesture reminiscent of the Hulk's transformation.

Ferrigno, a retired professional bodybuilder, has had a career spanning various television and film roles, with some projects filmed in Rome. He expressed his appreciation for the pope’s message of kindness and peace, stating, “Our world, our country needs someone like him: A great leader about kindness and peace, because there’s so much turmoil happening in this world.”

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, was graduating from Villanova University and entering the Augustinian religious order in 1977, the same year Ferrigno's "The Incredible Hulk" series began. The pontiff has previously mentioned being a regular viewer of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, a notable American television and radio preacher.