Biography
Serge Nubret (6 October 1938 – 19 April 2011) was a French professional bodybuilder, actor, and self-published author. He won numerous bodybuilding titles, including the 1976 NABBA Mr. Universe. Known as "The Black Panther," Nubret was born in Anse-Bertrand, Guadeloupe, and cited Steve Reeves as his childhood inspiration.
In 1960, Nubret joined the International Federation of Bodybuilders and was named World's Most Muscular Man in Montreal. He continued to excel, securing titles such as NABBA Mr. Universe in 1976 (London), WBBG Pro Mr. World and Mr. Olympus in 1977 (New York), and another world championship in 1981 (Geneva). In 1983, 23 years after his initial world-class achievement, he became the WABBA World Champion in Rome, earning his fifth major title. At 65, Nubret made his final public appearance at the 2003 World Championships in France.
Acknowledged by experts, peers, and fans as a bodybuilding icon, Nubret also contributed to the sport's growth and promotion. He led the French and European IFBB bodybuilding federations from 1970 to 1975 and established the World Amateur Body Building Association (WABBA) in 1975 to organize amateur competitions. Throughout his career, Nubret appeared in several minor films and was featured in the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron about Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Nubret was noted for an unconventional training routine and a distinctive diet, which reportedly included four pounds of horse meat daily.
In 2006, at age 68, Nubret co-authored an autobiography titled Je suis...Moi & Dieu (I am…Me and God) with Louis-Xavier Babin-Lachaud. Written solely in French, the book details his life story and Christian faith.
He was father to three daughters—Pascale, Karine, and Grace—and a son, Stanley, from two marriages and one relationship. His second wife, Jacqueline Nubret, was a female bodybuilder with multiple competition titles.
In March 2009, Nubret fell into a coma and passed away from natural causes on April 19, 2011.
