Franco Columbu deceased: Bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger best friend was 78



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Bodybuilder, boxer and Italian actor Franco Columbu, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest friends, died in his native Sardinia. He was 78 years old.

Columbu died at John Paul II Hospital in the city of Olbia after being sick while swimming in the sea, the hospital said. He lived in Los Angeles for years but was on vacation in Sardinia.

Schwarzenegger, a bodybuilder before becoming an actor, posted a warm farewell on Twitter about the man he called "my best friend". He has often described Columbu as the strongest man he has known.

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Franco Columbu celebrates the 25th anniversary of

Franco Columbu celebrates the 25th anniversary of "Pumping Iron" in New York in November 2002. The bodybuilder died on August 30, 2019 at the age of 78 after falling ill.
(Getty)

The two men formed a lasting friendship after their meeting in Germany 54 years ago.

"I love Franco, I will always remember the joy that you brought to my life, the advice you gave me and the sparkle in your eyes that never disappeared", wrote the movie star and former governor of California.

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On this April 26, 1986, an archival photo, the maid of honor Caroline Kennedy and the best man Franco Columbu, leave St. Francis Xavier Church after the wedding of Caroline's cousin, Maria Shriver, with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Bodybuilder, boxer and Italian actor Franco Columbu, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest friends, died at the age of 78. Columbu died Friday, August 30, 2019 in a hospital in his native Sardinia, after being sick while swimming in the sea.

On this April 26, 1986, an archival photo, the maid of honor Caroline Kennedy and the best man Franco Columbu, leave St. Francis Xavier Church after the wedding of Caroline's cousin, Maria Shriver, with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Bodybuilder, boxer and Italian actor Franco Columbu, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest friends, died at the age of 78. Columbu died Friday, August 30, 2019 in a hospital in his native Sardinia, after being sick while swimming in the sea.
(AP)

After starting his boxing career, Columbu progressed in weightlifting, bodybuilding and, later, in bodybuilding, winning the prestigious title of Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981.

In addition to his athletic career, Columbu has played in television shows, series and 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.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger and his companion Franco Columbu at the premiere of the movie "Pumping Iron: The 25th Anniversary" in New York in November 2002. They became the best friends of the world after their bodybuilding in Europe.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his companion Franco Columbu at the premiere of the movie "Pumping Iron: The 25th Anniversary" in New York in November 2002. They became the best friends of the world after their bodybuilding in Europe.
(Getty)

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"The biggest and most powerful bodybuilder I've ever met is gone … He has learned a lot of things that I have applied throughout my life. will never have a man like this yet, "said the actor.

Schwarzenegger, who chose his longtime friend as his best man when he married Maria Shriver in 1986, also paid tribute to Columbu Saturday on the Medium website and the pictures taken together.

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"From the moment we met in Munich, you were my partner in the crime, we pushed against each other, we clashed and we laughed at each moment, "wrote the actor.

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