Steve Reeves: Bodybuilder and Hercules Star
Steve Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. He became an international film star in the 1950s, best known for playing Hercules and other muscular heroes in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, and by 1960 was ranked the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries.
Early Life and Education
Reeves was born in Glasgow, Montana, on January 21, 1926. When he was 10 years old, his father, Lester Dell Reeves, died in a farming accident, and he moved to California with his mother, Goldie Reeves. He attended Castlemont High School, where he developed an interest in bodybuilding and trained at Ed Yarick’s gym in Oakland. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Army during World War II and served in the Philippines. Following his military service, he attended California Chiropractic College in San Francisco.
Career and Achievements
Reeves’s bodybuilding career established him as one of the most influential bodybuilders of all time. He trained three days a week using full-body workouts, performing three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions per exercise, often working two to four hours per session. He won Mr. America in 1947, Mr. World in 1948, and Mr. Universe in 1950, all in the pre-Mr. Olympia era. Known for his symmetry and credited with popularizing bodybuilding globally, he wrote three books on the subject: Powerwalking, Building the Classic Physique – The Natural Way, and Dynamic Muscle Building.
An agent suggested Reeves pursue acting, leading him to New York where he studied under Stella Adler before switching to the Theodora Irvin School of the Theatre. He performed a vaudeville act with comedian Dick Burney, which caught the attention of Cecil B. De Mille’s talent scouts. De Mille tested him for Samson and Delilah (1949) and offered him a seven-year Paramount contract, but ultimately cast Victor Mature in the lead role instead. Reeves’s first film appearance came in 1954 as a policeman in Ed Wood’s Jail Bait, earning him his Screen Actors Guild card. That same year he appeared in the MGM musical Athena and guest-starred on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. In 1955, he performed in two Broadway shows, Kismet and The Vamp.
Notable Events and Milestones
Director Pietro Francisci cast Reeves as Hercules after seeing him in Athena. Reeves flew to Italy and filmed Hercules (1958) for a fee of $10,000. Though based loosely on the tales of Jason and the Argonauts, the film became a European sensation when US distributor Joseph E. Levine promoted it heavily, grossing $5 million in the United States in 1959. Reeves followed with Hercules Unchained (1959), again directed by Francisci, which became the third most popular film in Britain in 1960. Despite his identification with the role, Reeves played Hercules only these two times.
Between and after the Hercules films, Reeves starred in The White Warrior (1959), playing the 19th-century Avar leader Hadji Murad, and Terror of the Barbarians (1959), retitled Goliath and the Barbarians for North American release, which earned $1.6 million during its initial run. At the peak of his career, Reeves was the highest-paid actor in Europe. He married his first wife, Sandra Smith, in 1955.
Awards and Honors
Reeves’s bodybuilding titles—Mr. America (1947), Mr. World (1948), and Mr. Universe (1950)—remain his most significant formal recognitions. His influence on bodybuilding and popular culture has secured his legacy as one of the most influential bodybuilders of all time.
Additional Resources
For a comprehensive account of Steve Reeves’s life and career, readers may consult his Wikipedia biography and other biographical archives that document his contributions to both bodybuilding and cinema. His three published books on physical training remain available for those interested in his training philosophy and methods.
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