Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves
Reeves in 1990
Born	Stephen Lester Reeves (1926-01-21)January 21, 1926 Glasgow, Montana, U.S.
Died	May 1, 2000(2000-05-01) (aged 74) Escondido, California, U.S.
Occupations	Bodybuilder actor philanthropist
Years active	1949–1968
Spouses	Sandra Smith ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1956)​ Aline Czartjarwicz ​ ​ (m. 1963; died 1989)​ Deborah Ann Engelhorn ​ ​ (m. 1994)​

Stephen Lester Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.^[1] Though best known for his portrayal of Hercules, he played the character only twice: in Hercules (1958), and in its 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. By 1960, Reeves was ranked as the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries.^[2]

Prior to his acting career, Reeves was a bodybuilder. Known for his symmetry,^[3] he reigned as Mr. America of 1947, Mr. World of 1948, and Mr. Universe of 1950 in the pre Mr. Olympia era.