Lou Ferrigno “The Hulk” is back?

Lou Ferrigno is returning to pop culture in a big way — apropos considering the man was a champion bodybuilder and a not-so-jolly green giant on TV’s The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s and ’80s.

It begins on Sunday (9 ET/PT) with the season premiere of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, where Ferrigno, Arsenio Hall, George Takei, Debbie Gibson, Cheryl Tiegs and others will compete to win money for their favorite charities and avoid hearing the words “You’re fired!” from Donald Trump.

He’s also returning to his superhero roots. With the movie The Avengers (in theaters May 4), Ferrigno was brought in to do some noises, grunts and other effects that served as the vocal template for the Hulk, who comes to life this time courtesy of a motion-capture performance by Mark Ruffalo.

In addition, Ferrigno has a starring role in the independent short film Liberator, which will premiere at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

A presentation pilot that Coverage Ink Films hopes to sell as a TV series or feature film, Liberator features Ferrigno as a disgraced former superhero whose black-ops past comes back to jeopardize his present. The film also stars Peta Wilson, Michael Dorn, action star and kickboxing champ Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Ed Asner.

“It’s a great story about an aging superhero in real life,” says Ferrigno, who director Aaron Pope and executive producer Jim Cirile thought was perfect for the title role. “They always felt that no one’s really seen my potential as an actor, what I can do.”

“My whole life, I deal with the truth — fighting adversity and fighting to be in a better position. It’s a huge parallel between the character and my life.”

The New York native, 60, has had hearing problems since he was a child, but he overcame that to parlay a successful career in bodybuilding — with two Mr. Universe wins and a Mr. America title in the 1970s — into the title role of The Incredible Hulk TV series, which he starred in with the late Bill Bixby from 1977 to 1982.

People have always underestimated him, Ferrigno says, even his competitors on Celebrity Apprentice.

“They see me in a certain way, but when they see that I have to come out and be very honest, they’re very surprised to see how smart I am and it’ll be hard to take advantage of me,” says the actor, who went on the show to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“Everyone was intimidated by my honesty because I was fighting for my charity, fighting for myself. Some people have a superior attitude, they just want to walk all over you, and I wouldn’t let that happen because I’m a warrior. In real life, I’m a fighter.”

Any villains this season? “There were a few people, I gave them a few pieces of my mind,” Ferrigno says. “It’ll be obvious when you see it.”

He’s planning a fitness reality show with his family where they help change other people’s lifestyles, and his FerrignoFit.com website is a resource for those dedicated to being healthy.

However, Ferrigno will always be connected to the Hulk, the Marvel Comics character he played on TV and voiced in various incarnations. He still goes to a lot of comic-book conventions and autograph signings, and fans always keep him updated on what’s happening with the Hulk in comics.

“I was a Hulk my whole life, and I know how the Hulk thinks and feels,” Ferrigno says.

“Everyone of us has a little Hulk inside of us, and we relate to that character beautifully.”