Franco Columbu Explained

Franco Columbu
Nickname:The Sardinian Strongman[1]
Birth Name:Francesco Maria Columbu
Birth Date:7 August 1941
Birth Place:Ollolai, Sardinia, Kingdom of Italy
Death Place:San Teodoro, Sardinia, Italy
Height:5 ft 5 in[2]
Weight:Contest: 1850NaN0
Off season: 195lb
Bestwin:IFBB Mr. Olympia
Bestwinyear:1976, 1981
Successor:Frank Zane (1977)
Chris Dickerson (1982)
Yesorretiredyear:Retired after 1981 Mr. Olympia

Francesco Maria Columbu[3] (August 7, 1941 – August 30, 2019) was an Italian-American bodybuilder and actor.

Originally a boxer, Columbu won the Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981, and competed in the inaugural edition of the World's Strongest Man in 1977, where he placed fifth.[4] He also had an acting career and authored numerous books on bodybuilding and nutrition. Columbu was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2001, International Sports Hall of Fame in 2013[5] and received the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

Early life

Columbu was born on August 7, 1941, in Ollolai on the island of Sardinia, Italy. He was a son of shepherds Maria Grazia Sedda and Antonio Columbu. He said in 1982: "I was always skinny. Until I was 11, I got beat up a lot. Then one day, I started beating people up. Nobody could touch me." He worked as a shepherd while training as a boxer. He won over 30 fights as a boxer before quitting the sport in favor of weightlifting and bodybuilding, stating: "Boxing's too rough on your face and head."[6]

Columbu moved to Germany at a young age for work, and met Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1965 at a bodybuilding competition in Stuttgart, Germany.[7] [8] Columbu formed a lifelong friendship with Schwarzenegger,[9] and was Schwarzenegger's best man for his marriage to Maria Shriver in 1986 and godfather to their daughter Christina.[10] [11] [12] Columbu and Schwarzenegger remained very close friends until Columbu's death, with Schwarzenegger stating in 2016, "He was my favourite training partner four decades ago and he is my favourite training partner today."

Athletic career

With Schwarzenegger, Columbu moved to California in the late 1960s to train and work with Joe Weider. Weider provided them with a place to live and an $80 per week stipend.[13] The stipend was not enough to live on, so to support their bodybuilding careers, they began a bricklaying company named European Brick Works in 1969.At and a competition weight of around 185lb, Columbu won the IFBB Mr. Europe and Mr. Universe titles in 1970, and the 1971 IFBB Mr. World. He won the lightweight class of the 1974 and 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympias, before winning the overall competition for the first time in 1976.[14]

Columbu participated in the inaugural edition of the World's Strongest Man in 1977. He placed fifth, behind four men who outweighed him by around 100lb.[15] During the event, he dislocated his left knee while carrying a refrigerator on his back. The injury kept him out of competition for a few years, and he received a reported $1 million (equivalent to $ million in) in compensation.[16] Columbu returned to win the 1981 Mr. Olympia then retired from competition.

Known for his strength, Columbu's clean and jerk record was 400lb, his bench press record was 525lb, his squat record was 655lb, and his deadlift record was 750lb. He was named in The Guinness Book of Records in 1978 for bursting a hot water bottle by blowing into it, which he achieved in 55 seconds.[17]

Acting, writing, directing, and producing careers

Columbu appeared as himself in the 1977 bodybuilding docudrama Pumping Iron. He was the body building coach for Sylvester Stallone in the film (1985),[18] and had roles in films that starred Schwarzenegger, including Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Terminator (1984), and The Running Man (1987).[19] In addition, Columbu's name appears during the opening credits of Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero as the director of fictional film Jack Slater IV.

Columbu's later films, also as a writer and producer, included the cult film Beretta's Island, (1993), Doublecross on Costa's Island, which he also directed and Ancient Warriors (2003). These three films were almost entirely shot in his homeland of Sardinia. He was also featured, as an actor, in the low budget production of .

Personal life and death

Columbu lived in Los Angeles from the 1970s. He was a licensed chiropractor, earning his degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1977. He appeared in television commercials and magazines advertisements for Vitalis "Super Hold" hairspray in 1977.[20] Columbu returned to his hometown of Ollolai in Sardinia every year towards the end of August to attend the local festivities.[21] Columbu became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1983.[22]

On August 30, 2019, after feeling unwell while swimming off the coast of San Teodoro, Sardinia, Columbu died during transportation by helicopter to a hospital in Olbia,[23] at age 78.[24] [25] [26] A funeral was held in his birthplace, Ollolai, on September 3, 2019. A memorial was held in Los Angeles on October 6, 2019.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976Stay HungryFranco OrsiniUncredited
1977Pumping IronHimself
1980The Hustler of Muscle Beach[27] Himself
1980The ComebackHimself
1982Conan the BarbarianPictish Scout
1984The TerminatorFuture Terminator
1984Getting PhysicalHimself
1986Don Rickles

Rickles on the Loose

Himself
1987PredatorMedicUncredited
1987The Running Man911 Security Officer #2
1987Last Man StandingBatty
1988Big Top Pee-weeOtto the Strongman
1990PerdutaL'americano
1992Il ritmo del silenzioNerescuAlso executive producer
1993Beretta's Island[28] Franco Armando BerettaAlso producer and writer
1994Taken AliveEnrico CostaAlso producer and writer
1997Doublecross on Costa's IslandEnrico CostaAlso director, producer, and writer
1998Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Cinematheque TributeHimself
2002Raw Iron: The Making of Pumping IronHimself
2003Ancient WarriorsAldo PaccioneAlso producer
2008Why We TrainHimself
2010Muscle Beach then and NowHimself
2011Dreamland La Terra dei SogniFrank Graziani
2015One More RoundFranco Turelli

Achievements

Bodybuilding titles

World's Strongest Man

Powerlifting records

See also

Bibliography

External links

| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Mr. Olympia|-

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Two-time Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu Dead at 78. Anthony. O'Reilly. Muscle & Fitness. August 30, 2018.
  2. Web site: Franco Columbu - Greatest Physiques. greatestphysiques.com. July 27, 2016 .
  3. Web site: Addio a Franco Columbu, il Terminator italiano: muore per un malore a San Teodoro. Gallura Oggi. August 30, 2019.
  4. Web site: Deadlifting For Massive Strength?. deadliftworkouts.com. November 4, 2016.
  5. Web site: 2013 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees . www.sportshof.org . Dr. Robert Goldman . March 12, 2013 . July 14, 2023.
  6. Web site: Franco Columbu, Bodybuilder and Schwarzenegger Friend, Dies at 78. Daniel E.. Slotnik. The New York Times. September 2, 2019.
  7. Web site: The 51 Year Bromance: Arnold and Franco . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Msf8JMVku7Y. December 11, 2021 . live. Schwarzenegger . Arnold . October 31, 2016 . YouTube . April 21, 2020.
  8. Web site: Arnold Schwarzenegger's competitive bodybuilding history 1963-1966 . GMV Productions . April 21, 2020.
  9. Ahhnold!? . . One crowd that Arnold has stayed with for a while are old bodybuilding friends, a faithful circle that includes Franco Columbu, the Sancho Panza of Schwarzenegger's early days, who says Arnold is running for Governor to give something back to the country that has been so good to him. 'He wants to do a big, beneficial thing, more than a movie—like straightening out this problem in California.' . August 18, 2003 . June 11, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707111558/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030818/narnold2.html . July 7, 2011 .
  10. News: Maria Owings Shriver Wed To Arnold Schwarzenegger . The New York Times . Maria Owings Shriver, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Sargent Shriver of Washington, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, a son of Aurelia Schwarzenegger of Graz, Austria, and the late Gustav Schwarzenegger, were married yesterday in Hyannis, Mass. ... Dr. Franco Columbu served as best man. . April 27, 1986 . June 11, 2010.
  11. Web site: Franco Columbu dead: Bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger best friend was 78. Fox News. September 1, 2019.
  12. Web site: Arnold Schwarzenegger pays emotional tribute as 'best friend' Franco Columbu dies. Michael. McGowan. The Guardian. September 1, 2019.
  13. News: Ethnic Issues in Recall Play Out at Latino Parade. Charlie. LeDuff. The New York Times. Mr. Schwarzenegger and a friend from Europe, Franco Columbu, were brought to California by Joe Weider, the bodybuilding guru, who sponsored them, giving them a place to live and an $85 a week stipend. The stipend was not enough to live on, said Mr. Columbu, who arrived in Santa Monica in June 1969. Mr. Columbu said last week in an interview that to make ends meet, he and Mr. Schwarzenegger began a bricklaying and patio business called European Brick Works in 1969.. September 8, 2003. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140309092800/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/08/national/08ARNO.html?hp. March 9, 2014.
  14. Web site: Franco Columbu. International Federation of BodyBuilding. September 3, 2019. March 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307154125/http://www.ifbbpro.com/franco-columbu/. dead.
  15. Web site: Even Stronger Than They Look: Franco Columbu. Muscle & Fitness. Greg. Merritt. December 28, 2013.
  16. Book: McCormack, Mark H.. The terrible truth about lawyers: how lawyers really work and how to deal with them successfully. registration. 190. Beech Tree Books. 1987. 978-0-688-06621-5.
  17. Web site: Franco Columbu Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Heavy. Paul. Farrell. August 30, 2019.
  18. News: Marbella . Jean . October 28, 1985 . Dr. Rambo Sylvester Stallone's Body-Beautiful Status for His John Rambo Character Portrayal Had a Little Help from the Real Man Behind the Muscle, Bodybuilder/Chiropractor Franco Columbu . . August 31, 2019.
  19. News: Horswill . Ian . September 3, 2019 . Arnold Schwarzenegger tribute to best friend bodybuilder Franco Columbu . CEO Magazine . September 3, 2019.
  20. Web site: Merritt . Greg . 2019-11-04 . 5 Things You Didn't Know About Franco Columbu . 2023-12-29 . The Barbell . en-US.
  21. https://www.ortobene.net/martedi-ollolai-funerali-franco-columbu/ Martedì a Ollolai i funerali di Franco Columbu
  22. Web site: California, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1843-1999 for Francesco Maria Columbu . . AncestryLibrary.com . . 2023-01-29 . subscription . Name: Francesco Maria Columbu; Petition Age: 42; Record Type: Naturalization Petition; Birth Date: 7 Aug 1941; Birth Place: Italy; Petition Date: 15 Dec 1983; Petition Place: Los Angeles, California, USA; Petition Number: 49375..
  23. Web site: Il culturista ed attore Franco Columbu annegato. La Nuova. it. September 1, 2019. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115075902/https://www.lanuovasardegna.it/olbia/cronaca/2019/08/30/news/annegato-a-san-teodoro-il-culturista-attore-franco-columbu-1.17873884. dead.
  24. Web site: Legendary Bodybuilder Franco Columbu Dies, Age 78 . Hall . Derek . August 30, 2019 . Fitness Volt . en-US . August 30, 2019.
  25. Web site: Italian Actor, Bodybuilder Franco Columbu, Dies At 78. The Hollywood Reporter. August 31, 2019 .
  26. Web site: 'Devastated' Arnold Schwarzenegger pays tribute to bodybuilder friend Franco Columbu. Sky News. en. August 31, 2019.
  27. News: The Hustler of Muscle Beach (1980). The hero's get-rich-quick scheme gets him into hot water when he selects a most unusual candidate for his protégé. Several real-life male bodybuilders appear onscreen, including Franco Columbu and Frank Zane, but the film's ad campaign focused on the bikini-clad female contestants.. June 11, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150710015023/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/126365/The-Hustler-of-Muscle-Beach/overview. Movies & TV Dept.. The New York Times. Hal Erickson. Hal Erickson (author). 2015. July 10, 2015.
  28. News: Beretta's Island (1993). Beretta (Franco Columbu) is an ex-Interpol agent. Imagining himself retired, Beretta returns to active duty when his friend is killed. His quest for justice takes him all the way to Sardinia. Going undercover, Beretta gets enmeshed in a vicious drug-smuggling operation. Watch for Arnold Schwarzenegger in a cameo.. June 11, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131007043003/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/121254/Beretta-s-Island/overview. Movies & TV Dept.. The New York Times. Hal Erickson. Hal Erickson (author). 2013. October 7, 2013.
  29. News: Mary Stevens. Throw Away The Excuses, Turn On The Vcr And Shape Up. Chicago Tribune. ... is a comprehensive men's workout designed by two-time Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu. The workout can be used with or without weights and should help to flatten the stomach, narrow the waist and eliminate unflattering love handles.. February 5, 1988. June 11, 2010.
  30. Web site: The Worlds Strongest Man Classics 1977 - Franco Columbu's tragic fridge race. Pratt. Rob. June 2, 2015. World's Strongest Man. en-US. September 1, 2019.

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