New York Bouncer And Male Stripper Is The Real Hulk In 'The Avengers'

Everyone knows that Mark Ruffalo lends his face to the CGI-enhanced Hulk in Marvel's multi-hero action movie, The Avengers, out in theaters today. Now, meet the man who lends his body: Steve Romm, a bouncer and stripper from Long Island who is the model for the mean, green, muscular machine.

Romm, who auditioned to be an extra in the film and ended up being painted green by moviemakers, grew up idolizing Lou Ferrigno, the actor who played The Hulk on TV in the '70s. “I always wanted to be big like Lou Ferrigno — my cat is even called Louie,” Romm, 37, told The New York Post. It turns out that Romm's grandfather knew Ferrigno personally when they worked together at a factory in Brooklyn.

Naturally, “It was a dream come true,” Romm said — getting to play The Hulk, though there were some challenges. The 270-pound, 6-foot-5 former bodybuilder had to be painted green every day, which took hours. Having to scrub the paint off took just as long.