Up until the day “Andre the Giant” aired on HBO, the wrestler's Wikipedia page stated that he was born and raised in Grenoble, France. Like most of the world, whoever contributed that piece to his Wikipedia page thought the hometown given during his introduction to the ring was the truth. But that was just one of many inaccuracies about Andre Roussimoff.
Hehir discovered that Andre was born in Moliens, a small village of 40 people six miles outside of Paris. Andre’s wrestling backstory of him coming from Grenoble was created early in his wrestling career when he was touted by promoters as a friendly lumberjack found in the mountains.
“The most recognizable town in the Alps to a North American audience was Grenoble because they hosted the Olympics,” Hehir said.
Once Andre's real hometown was discovered, Hehir and his crew traveled to Moliens with a few pictures of Andre with family friends.
“We literally went door to door and just walked the streets of that village showing these photos to people via a translator, because the people there spoke zero English,” Hehir said.
They also found Andre’s two brothers. One let Hehir and his crew into the family’s home where Andre grew up and there they found a treasure trove of old photos and wrestling memorabilia of Andre's never before seen by the public. They also filmed the giant chair for Andre in the kitchen, which is featured in the documentary. Andre’s mother had it specifically made for him.
“Andre the Giant is a mythical character, but Andre Roussimoff is a mother's son and she wanted him to be comfortable when he came home,” Hehir said. “She had that made for him. He was still her baby though he could barely fit through the door.”