Roddy Piper
Actor
- Born
- April 17, 1954 · Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Died
- July 31, 2015 (age 61)
Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, comedian and actor.
In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1984 and 2000. Although he was Canadian, because of his Scottish heritage he was billed as coming from Glasgow and was known for his signature kilt and bagpipe entrance music. Piper earned the nicknames "Rowdy" and "Hot Rod" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" short temper, spontaneity, and quick wit. According to The Daily Telegraph, he is "considered by many to be the greatest 'heel' (or villain) wrestler ever".
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One of wrestling's most recognizable stars, Piper headlined multiple PPV events, including the WWF and WCW's respective premier annual events, WrestleMania and Starrcade. He accumulated 34 championships and hosted the popular WWF/E interview segment "Piper's Pit", which facilitated numerous feuds. In 2005, Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Ric Flair, who dubbed him "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling".
Outside of wrestling, Piper acted in dozens of films and TV shows, most notably taking the lead role of John Nada in the 1988 cult classic They Live and a recurring role as a deranged professional wrestler called Da' Maniac on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He is also widely known for his role in Hell Comes to Frogtown as the character Sam Hell.
Known for
They Live
November 4, 1988
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
June 7, 2011
Hell Comes to Frogtown
January 29, 1988
Andre the Giant
April 10, 2018
WWE WrestleMania XXV
April 5, 2009
The Masked Saint
January 8, 2016
WWE Royal Rumble 2008
January 27, 2008
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
December 20, 1998
WrestleMania
March 31, 1985
WWE WrestleMania III
March 29, 1987
WWE Wrestlemania XIX
March 30, 2003
I Am Santa Claus
November 4, 2014
Acting196
- 2023Superfan: The Story of Vladimir as Self (Archival Footage)
- 2022Biography: Wrestlemania I as Self (archival footage)
- 2020The Firefly Funhouse Match as Himself (archive footage)
- 2019Cyndi Lauper: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits as Self (archive footage)
- 2018Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
- 2018Andre the Giant as Self (archive footage)
- 2017The Price of Fame as Self
- 2017WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
- 2016Our Nation's Pride: The Best of Canadian Superstars as Rowdy Roddy Piper
- 2016