Robert Bobroczkyi
Romanian basketball player and actor (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Bobroczkyi[3] (Hungarian: Bobróczky Róbert[4]; born 17 July 2000) is a Romanian–Hungarian[5] actor and former basketball player. Standing 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), he has drawn attention for his exceptional height. After moving to the United States in 2016 and attending high school in Geneva, Ohio, he attended Rochester Christian University in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In 2024, he made his feature film acting debut as the Offspring in Alien: Romulus and recently as Pirate Clark, the main antagonist in Backrooms (2026).
- SPIRE Institute (Geneva, Ohio)
- Grand River Academy (Ashtabula, Ohio)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 July 2000 Arad, Romania |
| Listed height | 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) |
| Listed weight | 224 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Rochester / Rochester Christian (2021–2022) |
| Playing career | 2014–2022[1] |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2015 | Stella Azzurra |
| 2019–2020 | SPIRE Sports Academy |
| 2021–2022[2] | Rochester Christian University |
Early life
Bobroczkyi was born in Arad, Romania,[6][7] the son of 2.17 m (7 ft 1 in) tall Hungarian-born Romanian international basketball player Zsigmond Zoltán Bobróczky (who competed alongside Gheorghe Mureșan)[8][9] and Brunhilde, a 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) former volleyball and handball player. At age eight he was taller than his mother, at 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) tall. By the age of 12, he reached a height of 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in), surpassing his father. As such, he was taller than Robert Wadlow was from the ages 8 to 13 years. He has been the subject of medical studies nearly his entire life, leading to the prevailing opinion that his height is a result of healthy genetics (i.e. familial or constitutional tall stature), not a hormonal disease or overgrowth syndrome. Bobroczkyi weighed just 190 lb (86 kg) at the time of his high school basketball debut in January 2017,[10] and with a height of 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), he was considered underweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 16.1.[11]
Basketball career
Youth
In 2014, Bobroczkyi was recruited by A.S. Stella Azzurra, an amateur-level basketball club based in Italy that produced NBA power forward Andrea Bargnani.[12] A scouting report on him noted that Bobroczkyi possessed an improved midrange jumper and passing ability, and his physical attributes made him an obvious mismatch against any of his opponents. Like most players of his stature however, Bobroczkyi was limited by his lack of muscle mass, endurance, and mobility on the court. His tremendously awkward gait and threat of exhaustion forced Bobroczkyi to play limited minutes after helping the team win its under-15 championship title. Despite his limitations, Bobroczkyi became an internet sensation in early 2016, as videos surfaced of him dominating much shorter competition during a game with Stella Azzurra.[13]
High school
In 2016, Bobroczkyi moved to Geneva, Ohio, in the United States to play basketball at the college-preparatory school SPIRE Institute and Academy while attending the nearby Grand River Academy for academics.[14][15] Entering his freshman season, Bobroczkyi was put on a minutes restriction as he attempted to bulk up his physique for a transition into faster, more physical American basketball.[16][17] On 14 January 2017, Bobroczkyi made his debut for SPIRE Institute.[18] He had back surgery in his senior year, preventing him from playing basketball for two years.[19]
In July 2020, Bobroczkyi committed to Rochester Christian University.[20]
College
Bobroczkyi returned to Romania shortly after classes began in the fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned to Rochester Christian University in the fall of 2021.[21] He stopped playing basketball after the 2021-22 season.[22]
Acting career
In 2024, Bobroczkyi made his acting debut as a Human-Xenomorph mutant (credited as "Offspring") in the sci-fi horror film Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez.[23]
In the 2026 science fiction horror film Backrooms by Kane Parsons, he portrayed "Pirate Clark".[24]
Personal life
As a high school senior, Bobroczkyi wore US size 17 shoes and had a 140 cm (57 in) inseam.[3]
Bobroczkyi speaks Romanian, Hungarian, English, Serbo-Croatian, and Italian.[3][25]
As of November 2024, he had graduated from Rochester Christian University with a degree in business administration, but was continuing to pursue a degree at RCU in information systems and cybersecurity.[26]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Alien: Romulus | Offspring | |
| 2026 | Backrooms | Pirate Clark |
See also
- Neil Fingleton
- Sun Mingming
- Gheorghe Mureșan
- Gogea Mitu (1909–1936), a tall Romanian boxer
- Olivier Rioux, a 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)[27] or 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)[28] Canadian college basketball player
- List of tallest people