Overview

Emily Dole (September 28, 1957 – January 2, 2018) was a Samoan‑American athlete, entertainer and professional wrestler best known for her ring persona "Mountain Fiji" (often stylized as Mt. Fiji) in the syndicated 1980s series Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). As one of the most visually arresting figures of the program, she became a memorable presence in the early national exposure for women's entertainment wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Working under the name Mountain Fiji, Dole was presented as an imposing competitor whose reported weight—about 350 pounds—set her apart from other cast members. Within GLOW storylines she engaged in prominent rivalries, most notably with the character Matilda the Hun during the show's first two seasons. The program combined staged competition, theatrical characters and serialized feuds, and Dole's size and stage presence were central to her role in that format.

Screen appearances and public work

Beyond the wrestling ring, Dole made several television and film appearances that leveraged her distinctive look and screen charisma. Credits include guesting on sitcoms and variety formats and a feature role in a mainstream comedy. She appeared on the Carol Burnett Show spin‑off Mama's Family, had a part on the short‑lived series Hard Time on Planet Earth, and was seen in the Pauly Shore film Son in Law. In 2012 she was also interviewed for the documentary GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, which revisited the series' place in pop culture.

Persona and cultural impact

Mountain Fiji was typically portrayed as a powerful, larger‑than‑life figure who could be both fearsome in the ring and sympathetic as a character. In the context of 1980s televised wrestling entertainment, she embodied a type whose physical presence contributed to the program's theatrical contrasts and comic possibilities. Dole's visibility helped draw attention to women's wrestling as a form of entertainment during a period when the genre was expanding beyond local circuits into national television.

Death and legacy

Emily Dole died on January 2, 2018, in Orange, California, after a long illness; she was 60. Her career is remembered by fans of GLOW and by students of wrestling history as part of the show's distinctive ensemble of characters. Dole's work on television and in film, together with her participation in the 2012 documentary, have contributed to renewed interest in GLOW and in the performers who helped shape 1980s women's wrestling on screen. For more on her television appearances see listings and credits linked through contemporary databases and retrospectives.

  • Ring name: Mountain Fiji (often abbreviated Mt. Fiji)
  • Noted for: imposing size and theatrical ring persona
  • Featured in: GLOW and the documentary revisiting the series

Further reading and archival materials can be located via fan sites, documentary resources and television credit listings. Contemporary coverage and retrospective interviews provide additional perspective on her life and career; obituaries and tributes marked her passing in 2018 and reflect on her place in the popular memory of GLOW and 1980s pop culture. Official notices recorded her death and summarized her public career.