Do you ever find yourself creating imaginary conversations between unlikely companions during your spare time? Can you picture the kind of banter that might occur in a car ride with Samuel Beckett, the Irish playwright, chauffeuring the child André Rene Roussimoff—better known as pro wrestler André the Giant—to school in his pickup truck?
It may sound absurd, but this scenario actually happened, as André’s co-star from “The Princess Bride” and soon-to-be-published film historian, Cary Elwes, confirms.
Back in 1958, when 12-year-old André couldn’t take the school bus due to his acromegaly, a condition that prevented him from fitting, Samuel Beckett, whom he knew from his dad’s card games in rural Moulien, France, stepped in as the volunteer chauffeur. André remembered their discussions centered around cricket, but who knows what else they might have talked about?
Even if we don’t know for sure, it’s entertaining to speculate.
Building on this intriguing encounter, playwright Ron Burch from Binghamton, New York, envisions Beckett doling out romantic advice in a dialectic style, similar to his distinctive dialogues. Burch’s interpretation adds depth to the unlikely pairing, with André seeking advice on kissing a girl in a way only Beckett could provide.
Burch isn’t the only one fascinated by these mysterious car rides. Chicago playwright Rory Jobst was inspired to craft “Samuel Beckett, Andre the Giant, and the Crickets” after hearing They Might Be Giants’ participation in André the Giant trivia on NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.” Additionally, cartoonist Box Brown’s graphic biography, “Andre the Giant,” depicts amusing exchanges between the two, like Beckett offering André his first cigarette.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson, High School Wrestling Team Captain, Once Invented a Physics-Based Wrestling Move
An Animated Introduction to Samuel Beckett, Absurdist Playwright, Novelist & Poet
Ayun Halliday is interested in hearing about unorthodox productions of Waiting for Godot @AyunHalliday.
