Gus Rethwisch Kind Of Disappeared From The Radar – Where Is The Running Man Actor?

Gus Rethwisch – born February 3, 1947, is 77 years old.

Gus Rethwisch is an actor who has only appeared in a handful of movies throughout his acting career which didn’t endure for long. This enormously large man, standing at a staggering height of 6′ 5″ (1.96 m) has chosen to keep most of his private business out of the media space. Thus, it has become very difficult to gain insight into who he is outside his acting projects and other endeavors. Aside from acting, the Running Man star has tried other careers. Before he even delved into acting, Gus participated in the second edition of the World’s Strongest Man competition which took place in 1978. He also once served in the US Navy.

Possible reasons why Gus Rethwisch is no longer acting

Gus Rethwisch had every potential to be a great actor and many of his fans still wonder to date why he chose not to actively pursue or invest in his acting career. From all indications, he was not involved in any accident which might have impeded the advancement of his acting career. However, since Gus is a very private person, he might have chosen not to share with the media and his fans his reasons for not being active.

While some have speculated that he didn’t get enough roles, it might be possible that he chose to pursue other dreams aside from acting as he is known to participate in bench weightlifting competitions all around the country. For now, his main reason for not being active in the movie industry remains a mystery.

Tracing his early life and real age

Drawing inferences from his looks and all he has been involved in since he became known, Gus Rethwisch must have started building himself quite early. The strong man is currently 77 years old as he was born on February 3, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Right from the beginning of his career in the Strong Man competition and even acting, he deliberately chose not to reveal his actual age as all his records from then showed that his age is unknown but all that has changed.

Furthermore, not much is known about his early life asides from the fact that he trained and served in the US Navy before choosing to turn to a career in the entertainment circle. This is probably why his demeanor is always too strict and severe when depicting his roles.

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Career exploits as an actor cum strongman

His career as an actor was not allowed to grow before he dropped off the radar without any explanation. But, before his disappearance, the actor grabbed a few roles in movies. Gus Rethwisch kicked off his acting career by appearing as Gregori in The Concorde… Airport (1979). He went ahead to appear in Hawai Five-0 (1980) where he had a small role as Big Man. He then went ahead to play several small roles in a bunch of other movies and shows before landing a more significant role in The Running Man which was released in 1987. Gus played the role of Buzzsaw and gave an incredible performance which brought him to a considerable level of fame.

About his role in the movie, Gus shared that the director wanted things to be as realistic as possible so everything about the fight between Buzzsaw and Arnie’s Ben Richards was very real. Some of his other acting projects include Magnum, P.I. (1982), House II: The Second Story (1987), Twins (1988), Crossing the Mob (1988), Fist Fighter (1989), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (1989), The Ride (1997), and The Scorpion King (2002).

Gus Rethwisch was a contestant at the World’s Strongest Man Competition

During the 2nd edition of the World’s Strongest Man competition which took place in 1978, Gus Rethwisch was one of the participants. The contest which was held at Universal Studios, California, saw Gus coming out in the 5th position with 16.73 points. Bruce Wilhelm won the competition with 64.33 points.

What is Gus Rethwisch’s net worth

With a career that had a lot of potentials but didn’t last long enough to harness it, Gus had everything he needed to make it big in the entertainment industry but he chose to abandon it. Though his net worth is not verified, there are speculations that he is worth just $300,000. This amount is probably part of his earnings as an actor, his stint in the US Navy, and his exploits in the fitness world. There is also a possibility that he is currently doing something tangible during his long hiatus from acting.

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Is Gus Rethwisch expected to come back to acting?

Even though Gus’s actual age is unknown, he should be well above 70 already. While there are several actors who are well above 70 years of age and still doing well in the industry, it’s very unlikely that Gus will return to acting as he appears to have other things he is more passionate about. Reminiscing about his time on the set of The Running Man some years back, he shared that at the time, he weighed about 352 lbs but had a lot of strength. However, at his current age and after getting open-heart surgery, he weighs just about 265 lbs and just wants to remain healthy.

Moreover, for several years, Gus Rethwisch has been the president of the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL). From all indications, this is something he is very passionate about as he has shared in several interviews. Gus believes that deadlifting is one of the most important exercises one can ever do as it trains the entire body.

Gus Rethwisch’s movies and TV shows

TV series

• The World’s Strongest Man – 1978
• Hawaii Five-O as Big Man – 1980
• Magnum, P.I. as Clyde Sromosky – 1982

Movies

• The Concorde… Airport ’79 – as Gregori (as Bernard ‘Gus’ Rethwisch) – 1979
• House II: The Second Story as Arnold the Barbarian – 1987
• The Running Man as Buzzsaw – 1987
• Crossing the Mob (TV Movie) – 1988
• Twins as Dave Klane – 1988
• Fist Fighter as The Beast – 1989
• Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II as General – 1989
• The Ride as Enforcer – 1997/1
• The Scorpion King as Barbarian Guard – 2002