He’s only human, and yet there’s a sense of excitement and inner restlessness when you know you’re going to meet him… meet him in person. For as long as I can remember, he’s been a part of my life. I grew up with all his films — whether it was They Called Him Bulldozer, Buddy Goes West, Flatfoot, Go for It, or Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure. He made 16 films together with his best buddy Terence Hill, forming a powerful and hugely successful duo.

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On March 28, 2012, I had the honor of meeting Bud Spencer in person during a press conference held to mark the release of the second part of his autobiography “Around the World in Eighty Years.” He was the hero of my childhood, the inventor of the legendary “steam hammer” punch—a classic fist blow to the head—and the man who considered beans a complete meal.

I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank publisher Oliver Schwarzkopf (Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf) for the invitation to this small and rather intimate press event. The press conference was scheduled for 11 a.m., and with only a two-minute delay, the doors to the conference room finally opened for us journalists, who had already been waiting in the anteroom for quite some time.

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And then suddenly, he stood right there in front of us—an icon we had known for decades only from television or, in our younger years, even from cinema visits.

Now 83 years old, he may have visually transformed into a lovable grandpa, but the power of his presence hadn’t diminished one bit for me.

Instantly, my mind started playing movie scenes, and I saw him again in all his legendary roles—whether as the peace-loving police inspector “Manuele Rizzo,” better known as Flatfoot, or as the fake doctor in Buddy Goes West, dishing out one-liners like no other.

Buddy, playing the Doc, examines his first patient—and his appetite is already in full swing.

Woman: “It always gets worse after eating, Doctor.”

Buddy: “Well, at least he’s eating. — What does he usually have?”

Son: “Hardly anything, really. My old man’s not the youngest anymore, Doctor. And for about a year now, he only eats easily digestible stuff in the evenings—maybe a few smoked sausages, some pork rind with bacon, a few rich beans, then a slice of mutton, some roast pork with chili peppers, and a handful of raw onions and garlic.”

Buddy: “Hmm… maybe it’s the pork rind in the beans.”

Since Bud Spencer only spoke Italian, he was supported by a simultaneous interpreter who enabled mutual communication for everyone involved in the press conference. So the German rendition was provided by the translator:

Bud Spencer: “I am always honored to be able to spend time in this country. Ever since I was born – and I already weighed 6 kilos back then – this has been a country very close to my heart. I studied German in my youth, but I’ve forgotten everything,” Bud Spencer said himself. “And now I’m ready to hear your questions and tell you what you want to know from me.”

Journalist: Mr. Spencer, do you know the Ruhr area?

Bud Spencer: Essen, Krefeld, Gelsenkirchen. I’ve been to the Ruhr area several times, especially as a young man when I was still an athlete. And I may add that I visited Leipzig and other East German cities both before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, such as Dresden. I was even invited by the Federal President back when Bonn was still the capital. So I had the great honor of being invited by this important German figure. Furthermore, I’ve attended three – what do you call them – Oktoberfests. At one, I even conducted the brass band. Of course, I had no clue about conducting, but the musicians were smart enough not to look at me. There’s also a little town near Munich that I’m particularly fond of – it’s called Oberpfaffenhofen. So perhaps I know Germany even better than Italy. Germany is very close to my heart, as you can probably tell.

Journalist: Mr. Spencer, why are you presenting a second part of your autobiography now?

Bud Spencer: I’m presenting this second book because I want to move away from just telling the story of an actor or athlete and focus more on what younger people have given and conveyed to me over the years. Let me begin by saying that the character “Bud Spencer” was created when I was 37 years old. And I discovered that my partner Terence Hill and I had found something we had to copy. This imitation refers to names that truly sound otherworldly and are known around the world. Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, Buster Keaton – they all embodied comedy without speaking a word. We followed their lead and invented the Western parody. It wasn’t a comedy based on language but on gestures. And based on this theory we developed, Mel Brooks imitated us two years later when he introduced a Black sheriff on screen whose horse had a Gucci saddle. That, too, came across as hilariously funny and helped shape our success. Comedians can of course make their audiences laugh in their own language, but once the film crosses borders, people no longer laugh. It’s different with this physical, slapstick-style comedy we created – it works everywhere. And while the ladies naturally swooned over Terence Hill, the men saw something in me they wanted for themselves – the chance to give a superior or boss a good knock on the head. Everyone dreams of that! And when women saw that I was popular with men, they gradually learned to accept me, too. Eventually, everyone wanted to be a bit like Bud Spencer. And all those punches happened in good humor – without a single drop of blood, without death. It all stayed within the realm of comedy.

mr.uniQue: Could you please explain again how you came up with the name Bud Spencer?

Bud Spencer: There are thirty reasons for it. Carlo Pedersoli was Italy’s champion for ten years. I competed in two Olympic Games, four Mediterranean Games, and four European Championships. The Italian water polo team I played for as center forward won multiple world championships. The name Carlo Pedersoli was too well-known in sports and couldn’t be used for the film I was supposed to act in. I was a fan of Spencer Tracy and liked drinking Budweiser beer – and so I called myself Bud Spencer for that film. Thank God, we’ve now made 118 movies, 16 of them together with Terence Hill. I never really wanted to be an actor. I married my wife 54 years ago – still the same woman to this day – and her father was the biggest film producer Italy or Europe had ever seen. He produced La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini, for example. But we never talked – neither he nor I – about the idea of me becoming an actor. Sadly, he passed away in 1964. Then in 1967, a director called my wife and asked if I was still as strong and muscular as I had been when I was active in sports. My wife replied: “My husband doesn’t do sports anymore. He only eats now and is bursting out of all his clothes.” The director then asked me: “Do you speak English?” I said: “No.” “Can you ride a horse?” I answered: “Horses don’t go in water.” “Have you ever grown a beard?” “No, I shave every day.” That was our first encounter. Then he said: “But I’d still like you to take a role in my film. How much do you want as payment?” I asked: “How long would I have to work?” He said: “About two months.” So I told him: “I have two IOUs here. I have to pay 500,000 lire next month and another 500,000 the month after that.” (Note: 500,000 lire is about €50,000.) “If you give me that, I’ll take the part.” He said: “Sorry, I can only give you 500,000 lire since you have no experience.” I left the room without a word because I needed that money. A month and a half later, he called back and offered me a million lire to take the role after all.

Now, back to the name. Carlo Pedersoli would’ve meant nothing in cinema. That’s how I became Bud Spencer. The same thing happened to Terence Hill, whose real name is Mario Girotti. He got a list of 20 names and 24 hours to choose one. He picked Terence Hill because he liked it and because it had the same initials as his mother’s name – Hildegard Thieme. And then everything just happened the way it was meant to. One thing I’ve learned in life: never make plans. Try to do something, yes – but never overplan. I never wanted anything to do with cinema. Now I thank God that I did it.

Journalist: What makes you laugh today?

Bud Spencer: Let me say something essential. My life has always been about respecting others. I lack the education or authority to judge my colleagues. As you know, I’ve acted in over 118 films, 16 of them with Terence Hill. I shot 60 films in English in the United States. You heard me say earlier that when the director asked me if I spoke English, I said not a single word. So how did I manage to shoot 60 films in English? It’s simple: no cowboy in the 19th century ever said more than 25 words. I learned those 25, and that was enough. But I was man enough to turn down roles when I felt my English wasn’t good enough – roles like Henry VIII or Gulliver. I might have looked the part, but I didn’t speak the language well enough.

Journalist: As you know, Mr. Spencer, you have a huge fan base, especially here in Germany. How do you experience this hype when you’re in Germany?

Bud Spencer: German fans love the character I represent. What I’m experiencing these days shows me that it’s the audience who made Bud Spencer who he is. I’m not celebrated here because of acting talent – I have no formal training, and I lack the foundations. I’m not a great actor, and I’ve never worked in theater because I don’t have the qualifications. I believe it’s the personality of Bud Spencer that means something to people – that idea of delivering a famous punch to the boss. Everyone wants to do that, and I do it on their behalf. But always in a funny, ridiculous way, without blood. Even small children who see my films for the first time like Bud Spencer. They’re not afraid of this kind of comedy violence. That’s why I write books – because I want to connect with young people. I feel the need to speak with them.

Journalist: Could you tell us what motivated you to get your pilot’s license?

Bud Spencer: We had that one film – “Go for It” – where we had to play pilots. And there was actually this small, single-engine plane that I managed to get into the air. Luckily, the scene was set up so that I was at the controls during the takeoff sequence, but right before actual lift-off, I’d step out and a real pilot – a stunt double with the same hairstyle – would take over. But one day I decided not to let the double in and took off myself – without any qualifications or license. When my producer found out, he nearly had a heart attack. I somehow landed the plane safely, and right after filming ended, I got my pilot’s license.

Narrator: After listening to this elderly man named Bud Spencer for over an hour – like children hanging onto every word – hearing his stories and wisdom, I had to come to terms with the fact that I had been deeply moved. I was truly touched to have experienced this incredible, humble human being in person. An experience I won’t forget anytime soon.

Thank you, Buddy.

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IMG_0195UCI-Kino: Kinotour Bud Spencer
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That I wasn’t the only huge fan of his—and that Germany has always been a country that loved Bud and Terence—became crystal clear to me the very next day, on March 29th, 2012, during his cinema tour at the UCI theater in Düsseldorf’s Media Harbor. In front of a sold-out crowd, Bud Spencer was once again scheduled to share stories from his life with his fans—essentially repeating what I had already witnessed the day before at the press conference for selected journalists. But before that, Buddy was up close and personal with his fans, signing nearly a thousand copies of his biography like clockwork, making many of his most loyal supporters incredibly happy.

When asked by a fan if he had a favorite film among all the ones he made with Terence Hill, Bud Spencer immediately said yes and simply replied: “I’m for the Hippopotamus.”

At the end of the fan event at the cinema, the audience gave a standing ovation to their longtime companion, and it was truly palpable that the star himself was deeply moved. He will return to Italy with the heartfelt knowledge that he still has many loving fans. I hope that this feeling gave Bud Spencer, also known as Carlo Pedersoli, great strength to carry on for many more years. It would be a great loss to lose such a wonderful person. May his family have much more time with him. All the best, Buddy.

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At the end of the fan event at the cinema, the audience gave a standing ovation to their longtime companion, and it was truly palpable that the star himself was deeply moved. He will return to Italy with the heartfelt knowledge that he still has many loving fans. I hope that this feeling gave Bud Spencer, also known as Carlo Pedersoli, great strength to carry on for many more years. It would be a great loss to lose such a wonderful person. May his family have much more time with him. All the best, Buddy.