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Boxer, Italian bodybuilder, and actor Franco Columbu was one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s closest friends and he has passed away. He was in his native Sardinia, and he was 78.
The bodybuilder died at John Paul II Hospital in Olbia. The hospital said he became ill after swimming in the ocean. He lived in Los Angeles for years. Columbu was vacationing in Sardinia.
Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilder before he turned to acting. He posted a warm farewell on Twitter about the man he referred to as his best friend. He often called Columbu the strongest man he ever knew.
The two men met in Germany 54 years ago and began building an enduring friendship.
“I love you Franco. I will always remember the joy you brought to my life, the advice you gave me, and the twinkle in your eye that never disappeared,” Schwarzenegger wrote.
Columbo began his career as a boxer. He progressed to Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and later bodybuilding. He won the title of Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981.
In addition to his athletic career, Columbu acted for television shows and in movies. He appeared in three of Schwarzenegger’s films: “The Terminator,” “The Running Man,” and “Conan the Barbarian.”
Sylvester Stallone also remembered Columbu in a tweet.
“The greatest and strongest bodybuilder I have ever met has passed away… He taught me many things that I have applied throughout my life – We will NEVER HAVE A MAN LIKE THIS AGAIN,” read the tweet.
Columbu passed away on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019.
By Jeanette Smith
Sources:
Fox News: Franco Columbu dead: Bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger best friend was 78
CNN: Franco Columbu, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘best friend,’ dies at 78
South China Morning Post: Bodybuilding legend Franco Columbu’s death a tragedy, says long-time friend Ric Drasin
Image Courtesy of Luis Argerich’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License