Often rumored to inspire Shrek, Maurice Tillet was which of these?

Maurice Tillet (October 23, 1903 – September 4, 1954) was a French professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The French Angel. Tillet was a leading box office draw in the early 1940s and was twice World Heavyweight Champion by the American Wrestling Association run by Paul Bowser in Boston. Tillet also was cast in the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young as “The Swedish Angel”.

Some have speculated that Maurice's appearance and behaviour inspired the likeness of the main character in the DreamWorks film Shrek (2001) of the same name, but this rumor has not been confirmed.

Tillet completed his law degree at the University of Toulouse, but felt he would never be successful due to his deep voice and physical appearance. Tillet served in the French Navy for five years as an engineer.

In February 1937, Tillet entered the wrestling business. He moved to Paris for training and wrestled for two years in France and England until World War II forced them to leave for the United States in 1939.

In Boston, Massachusetts, in 1940, promoter Paul Bowser pushed Tillet, who was wrestling as The French Angel, as a main eventer, and he became a large draw in the area. As a result of his popularity, Tillet was booked as unstoppable, and was unbeaten for a span of nineteen consecutive months. Tillet was the AWA World Heavyweight Champion from May 1940 until May 1942. He reappeared with the Boston-based title for a short time in 1944.