‘Little Hercules’ was known as “The World’s Strongest Boy’ – sit down before you see him today, age 30

“But it was just a phase trying out something different,” he said. “Nothing important.”

When Richard was 11, his father went to prison, after which Richard cut all ties with him and stopped bodybuilding. However, he didn’t stop training entirely.

At 15, he got himself a new manager in Marco Garcia. Marco also worked as a film producer, which would lead Richard into a new field. In 2009, the film Little Hercules in 3-D was released, including cast members such as Hulk Hogan and Elliot Gould. By all accounts, it was somewhat of a fiasco, but it didn’t stop Richard from continuing his work.

“For now, I just want to go out and make more movies,” Sandrak said at the time, adding that he wanted to help the world.

“What I’ve noticed a lot is childhood obesity. It’s become such a big problem, especially here in America, that I feel I have to do something. Kids are going to be adults. They’re going to be our future. Right now, one out of three has potential of dying before their parents. I want to get them eating right and doing sports one hour a day.”

He continued: “I think of it this way: the kids that do that, how do they end up? They don’t end up with successful careers in any good business. They end up working at McDonald’s, and that’s not a life I want for myself.”

Little Hercules today

Not only did Little Hercules appear on the big screen, but he got to spend time on the red carpet and was pictured alongside Hulk Hogan as he attended the 2005 premier of Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

Besides his film Little Hercules in 3-D, Richard appeared in the 2012 film The Legends of Nethiah and the short film Assassin Priest, released the same year.