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Francesco Maria Columbu (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. 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 and received the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
Columbu moved to Germany at a young age for work, and met Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1965 at a bodybuilding competition in Stuttgart, Germany. Columbu formed a lifelong friendship with Schwarzenegger, and was Schwarzenegger's best man for his marriage to Maria Shriver in 1986 and godfather to their daughter Christina. 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."
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 . During the event, he Knee dislocation 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. Columbu returned to win the 1981 Mr. Olympia then retired from competition.
Known for his strength, Columbu's clean and jerk record was , his bench press record was , his squat record was , and his deadlift record was . 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.
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 .
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, at age 78. A funeral was held in his birthplace, Ollolai, on September 3, 2019. A memorial was held in Los Angeles on October 6, 2019.
| 1976 | Stay Hungry | Franco Orsini | Uncredited |
| 1977 | Pumping Iron | Himself | |
| 1980 | The Hustler of Muscle Beach | Himself | |
| 1980 | The Comeback | Himself | |
| 1982 | Conan the Barbarian | Pictish Scout | |
| 1984 | The Terminator | Future Terminator | |
| 1984 | Getting Physical | Himself | |
| 1986 | Don Rickles: Rickles on the Loose | Himself | |
| 1987 | Predator | Medic | Uncredited |
| 1987 | The Running Man | 911 Security Officer #2 | |
| 1987 | Last Man Standing | Batty | |
| 1988 | Big Top Pee-wee | Otto the Strongman | |
| 1990 | Perduta | L'americano | |
| 1992 | Il ritmo del silenzio | Nerescu | Also executive producer |
| 1993 | Beretta's Island | Franco Armando Beretta | Also producer and writer |
| 1994 | Taken Alive | Enrico Costa | Also producer and writer |
| 1997 | Doublecross on Costa's Island | Enrico Costa | Also director, producer, and writer |
| 1998 | Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Cinematheque Tribute | Himself | |
| 2002 | Raw Iron: The Making of Pumping Iron | Himself | |
| 2003 | Ancient Warriors | Aldo Paccione | Also producer |
| 2008 | Why We Train | Himself | |
| 2010 | Muscle Beach then and Now | Himself | |
| 2011 | Dreamland La Terra dei Sogni | Frank Graziani | |
| 2015 | One More Round | Franco Turelli |
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