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<\/p>\nGLADIATOR star Rhino has revealed the cheeky question the Queen asked him after he curtsied to her at a royal reception. <\/p>\n
The humble bodybuilder turned Hollywood film star Mark Smith regularly rubs shoulders with A-listers – but his meeting with Her Majesty remains one of his most treasured.<\/p>\n
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The 51-year-old met the monarch at The Royal Tournament in 1997 at the height of his Gladiator fame and the pair shared an playful exchange.<\/p>\n
After respectfully bowing to the Queen, the then 28-year-old Mark told how she admired his bulging muscles during their brief encounter.<\/p>\n
"I curtsied and she said, 'hello, how long have you been working on your muscles?' he told the Mirror.<\/p>\n
"I said since the age of 16. She asked if I enjoyed it and I said very much so. She said, 'You look very well'."<\/p>\n
A snap of the unconventional duo shows the Queen beaming at Mark in his tight-fitting sports leotard as she extends her hand to him.<\/p>\n
It seems the fresh-faced sovereign may have been a fan of the hit game show Gladiators that saw contestants compete against fitness experts.<\/p>\n
The ITV programme, which ran for eight years after launching in 1992, was presented by Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu.<\/p>\n
Rhino joined the team in 1995 after winning the London Men's Heavyweights and quickly became a much-loved member of the team.<\/p>\n
He shot to fame on the 90s show after proving his athletic ability in contests such as Gauntlet, Whiplash and Suspension Bridge.<\/p>\n
The actor was the only Gladiator to have carried their own nickname too – as telly boss Nigel Lythgoe liked the title Rhino, that Mark had been given by fellow gym-goers.<\/p>\n
He left the show behind in 2000 to pursue his acting career but says he is forever indebted to Gladiators for the opportunity it gave him.<\/p>\n
I curtsied and she said, 'hello, how long have you been working on your muscles?'<\/p>\n
The dad-of-two also has a string of other famous fans, including the likes of Johnny Depp, Bond direct Barbara Broccoli and Idris Elba.<\/p>\n
Recalling his first meeting with the Luther actor, he said: "I first met Idris in Dingwalls in Camden. <\/p>\n
"He came up to me and said, 'Hello, nice to meet you Rhino, man'. I said, 'Nice to meet you too, bruv'.<\/p>\n
"As we talked he told me he was thinking of going to America to try his hand at acting there. I told him he should definitely do that."<\/p>\n
The pair's relationship continued to blossom despite the distance, while Idris went on to crack America, which enticed Rhino into life in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
"Idris really took me under his wing when I moved out there. He was a great help," he added.<\/p>\n
The London-born lads worked together on Idris' directorial debut in 2018, when he starred in crime-drama Yardie as drug kingpin Raggz.<\/p>\n
The pair then both worked on the Netflix animation film Zootropolis and will soon feature in their latest project, The Harder They Fall, together. <\/p>\n
Mark's lifestyle on the other side of the Atlantic also saw him strike up a friendship with Jonny Depp on the school run and play tennis with Gerard Butler.<\/p>\n
Other cast members were left baffled when Jack Sparrow shouted over the set to greet Mark – but little did the others know they had bonded over chats about "life and London".<\/p>\n
"We were on the set of Pirates and Johnny goes: 'Hey Rhino, how are you man? Good to see you.' Everyone around Johnny was like 'who is this guy?'"<\/p>\n
The 51-year-old's catalogue of rendezvous with celebs doesn't end there either.<\/p>\n
Rhino was once mistaken for an American footballer player by Leonardo DiCaprio and complimented on his eyes by Oprah Winfrey.<\/p>\n
But despite his success, the modest father-of-two hasn't forgotten his Gladiator castmates and still keeps in touch with co-stars including Hunter and Jet. <\/p>\n
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