'Andre the Giant' is a forthcoming documentary exploring one of the most well-loved WWE wrestlers to have ever lived, and certainly the biggest celebrity of his time - very literally. Billed to be a massive 7ft 4, he towered over all his opponents and became quite the phenomenon, though it wasn't always easy.

Andre the Giant in 'The Princess Bride'Andre the Giant in 'The Princess Bride'

Born in France, it was clear from a young age that André Roussimoff had giantism, and was well over 6 foot by the time he reached 12. He was a fond acquaintance of Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett, and started wrestling in France when he was 17.

By the time he was in his late twenties, he had joined Vince McMahon Sr.'s WWF where he built a rivalry with such legends as Hulk Hogan. Just because he was bigger than everyone else, however, didn't mean he had it easy.

As a result of his giantism, he suffered acromegaly; a condition characterised by enlarged hands and feet, forehead, jaw and other features along with myriad health problems that can affect joints, muscles and organs. Indeed, he was often in so much pain that he would drink gallons of alcohol to numb the agony - once even consuming more than 41 litres of beer in six hours.

But it wasn't just physical problems that caused him great discomfort throughout his life. As his celebrity grew, helped by his notable appearance in the 1987 cult classic 'The Princess Bride', so did the media attention. As a man who loved his home comforts and his peace and solitude, it became immensely difficult to deal with the fact that he was constantly being treated like a freak in the press.

New HBO documentary 'Andre the Giant' explores the difficult life he led, which culminated in his death from heart failure at the age of just 46.

More: Read the review for 'The Princess Bride'

'Andre the Giant' premieres on April 10th 2018.