Mr. America, 1947, and Mr. Universe, 1950, Steve Reeves was a legendary bodybuilder and iconic actor who became very famous in the mid-1950s for starring in “sword-and-sandal films,” playing roles such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan.
Steve Reeves, born Stephen Lester Reeves on January 21, 1926, in Glasgow, Montana, was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. His father, Lester Dell Reeves, died in a farming accident when Steve was young, prompting his mother, Goldie Reeves, to move the family to Oakland, California. Reeves developed an interest in bodybuilding during his high school years at Castlemont High School and trained at Ed Yarick’s gym in Oakland. During World War II, he served in the Philippines and contracted malaria.
I don’t believe in bodybuilders using steroids. If a man doesn’t have enough male hormones in his system to create, a nice hard, muscular body, he should take up ping pong.
Steve Reeves
Reeves’ bodybuilding career was marked by numerous accolades. He won the title of Mr. America in 1947, Mr. World in 1948, and Mr. Universe in 1950. Known for his symmetry and impressive physique, Reeves set a new standard in the bodybuilding world. His training regimen consisted of full-body workouts three days a week, with each session lasting between two to four hours. Steve Reeves was a pioneer in promoting natural bodybuilding and often criticised the use of steroids in the sport.
After his success in bodybuilding, Reeves transitioned to acting. He moved to New York to study under Stella Adler but later trained at the Theodora Irvin School of the Theatre. He was supposed to do Cecil B. DeMille’s “Samson and Delilah (1949)” but could not fully prepare in time. In 1954, Reeves had a small supporting role as a cop in the Ed Wood film Jail Bait & in the MGM musical “Athena.’
His acting career began with small roles in television and movies in the late 1940s and early 1950s. However, his breakthrough came with the 1958 film “Hercules,” directed by Italian director Pietro Francisci, which catapulted him to international fame. In the film, Reeves played the titular character Hercules, the demigod and son of Zeus. The film was a major box-office success and established Reeves as a leading action star. Reeves reprised his role as the legendary “Hercules” in the film’s sequel, “Hercules Unchained (1959).”
Reeves’s charismatic presence and physical prowess set new standards for the portrayal of mythological heroes like Hercules, Goliath, Romulus, Sandokan, and many more. In the 1959 film “The Giant of Marathon,” Reeves played the role of Phillipides, the famous wartime messenger of the Battle of Marathon.
He went on to do many more such films, including The White Warrior (1959), Goliath and the Barbarians (1959), The Last Days of Pompeii (1959), Morgan, the Pirate (1960), Duel of the Titans (1961), The Trojan Horse (1961), The Thief of Baghdad (1961), The Slave (1962), Sandokan the Great (1963), and Pirates of Malaysia (1964).
Reeves appeared in his final film, a spaghetti western he co-wrote, titled “I Live For Your Death!” which was released as “A Long Ride from Hell (1968).”
Reeves reportedly turned down the offer to play James Bond in Dr. No (1962). He also turned down the starring role in the iconic Western “A Fistful of Dollars (1964); the role finally went to Clint Eastwood and made him a star.
When your arms are bigger than your head, something is wrong.
Steve Reeves
He survived numerous life-threatening experiences as a child, including being hit by a car and dragged and being thrown from a horse. Reeves was an accomplished horse rider and often performed his own stunts in films. Reeves dislocated his shoulder when his chariot slammed into a tree while filming The Last Days of Pompeii. Injuries like that later force him to retire from films.
Regarded as one of the most influential bodybuilders of all time, he inspired many future bodybuilders and actors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. He also wrote three books: Powerwalking, Building the Classic Physique – The Natural Way, and Dynamic Muscle Building.
Steve Reeves passed away on May 1, 2000, but his impact on the worlds of fitness and film remains immortal.
Steve Reeves remains a revered figure in the fitness industry, influencing countless individuals to pursue bodybuilding as a means of achieving strength and health. Much before Arnold Schwarzenegger, Reeves’s legacy endures as an embodiment of physical excellence and as a trailblazer in the intersection of bodybuilding and entertainment.
