Raise your hand if you don’t remember at least one fistfight or an iconic pan of beans. Ten years have passed since the death of Carlo Pedersolia giant of cinema known throughout the world under the pseudonym of Bud Spencer, yet his memory is indelibly imprinted in the minds and hearts of thousands of cinephiles and fans of the genre Spaghetti Westerns. From They Called Him Trinity to Born with the Shirt, passing through God Forgives… I Don’t!, Bigfoot the Cop and Otherwise We Get Angry, thehe list of films that have gone down in history would be very long. To remember the actor – who was also an Olympic swimmer – Cinecittà World hosts from 26 to 28 June Bud Spencer Tribute: live shows, stunts, iconic movie cars and performances.
Below we relaunch the report published in the weekly magazine Credere in 2015 by Laura Bellomi, the result of one of the last interviews given by the actor.
86 years, and after 136 films, the spirit is still what fans of Spaghetti Westerns they know by heart: good-natured, ironic and generous, just like Bud Spencer. Carlo Pedersoli, an actor loved throughout the world, lives in Rome with his wife Maria Amato. «We have been married for 55 years. How did we stay together this long? Ask her how she put up with me».
Accustomed to jokes, Mrs. Maria smiles. His father was a major film producer. «But I have never taken advantage of it», points out Pedersoli. “On the contrary, I didn’t even want to be an actor. One day a producer calls my wife and asks her: “Is your husband still as big as when he was swimming?”. She replied that I was even more so because I had stopped doing sports… They needed a “placeholder” and so they wanted me on the set.”
The cover of Credere dedicated to Bud Spencer
In addition to the films that consecrated him together with his friend Mario Girotti, better known as Terence Hill, Pedersoli has had many other experiences in life. Worker in Brazil, swimming Olympian, author for singers of the caliber of Ornella Vanoni: he did everything and was successful in everything. «I feel very lucky», he comments thinking back to his exploits. Bud – we’ll call him that, with the familiarity that the 16 cult films with Terence Hill have given us – is someone who has never let it go to his head. «The greatest gift God has given me is decency». That’s right: Bud talks about “decency” and we are left speechless. One would expect everything from someone who received the David di Donatello for lifetime achievement except for him to say he felt like “a decent man”. But ultimately Bud is really a “good guy”, as he defines himself. And he is also a just man: like when in his films, for example in I’m with hippos, the beatings flew and in abundance, but only to protect the defenseless. And modest, to the point of admitting: «I have done many things but without God I would not have done anything. I have a great sense of gratitude towards Heaven.”
Between one fight and another, always and only on the set, a strong and rooted faith has accompanied Bud since he was a boy. And now that age is making itself felt and some ailments have appeared, God is more than ever a point of reference. «The essential thing in life is to keep in mind that without believing in something you can do nothing. My parents were believers and so I followed them. When I understood that faith was the right thing, I believed even more. I have memorized their teachings completely, which is why I still believe today.”
Put aside fights and rides, but also races and dances (who doesn’t remember, amazing, in the Tyrolean dance of Bombers?), Bud’s days today pass peacefully and many memories keep him company.«Life can be a wonderful passage, it depends on the encounters. I have had lucky encounters and a long and beautiful existence. I learned what was good and did important things. Of course I feel like a sinner, but in small things… In all these years these things have happened, or not?”, he says laughing. As in the films, in which he repeatedly escaped daring situations thanks to intuition, Bud advises taking opportunities quickly: «I think that life should be grasped all at once: it flows quickly, we almost don’t notice it. Even the couple with Terence Hill was born almost by chance. We met on the set of God Forgives, I didn’t only because Mario had to replace Peter Martell, who had already been assigned the part.”
In their Roman home the Pedersolis sometimes have guests. «Terence Hill was also here a few weeks ago. He always liked coming to us because his wife kept him in check» he says smiling. If anyone thinks that the cinema couple’s favorite dish is pasta and beans, they are wrong. Or, at least, to the guests he cares most about, Bud offers something else: «With Terence we eat spaghetti. Even with the Pope, if I could, I would gladly eat them: I would prepare them for him myself. And then I would have a curiosity to ask him: what is the secret of mate (the typical Argentine drink similar to a herbal tea, ed), which has a unique flavour.” United by their “South American roots”, Bud has great respect for the Pontiff: “This Pope is wonderful, I find him extraordinary in the way he feels and transmits the faith.” But then there is another “priest” who he likes a lot, and he is the protagonist of the TV drama Don Matteo: «Terence Hill is also very good as the priest». Even in Turn the other cheek Bud and Terence played two missionaries. «Of course, for a priest I was a bit violent. In the films I had many things to make others understand, just like priests, and I did it both with good and bad manners».
In addition to cinema, the actor’s other great passion is cooking. He also wrote the book last year I eat, ergo sum. «Eating is essential, without food you die», he repeats. «What happens in many parts of the world is terrible, where children often cannot eat enough. In the same way I also despair when I hear about waste in school canteens». He’s getting excited, Bud, he doesn’t want to give up the oars yet: «I’m moving forward and I’m curious, I always want to do something new. I don’t worry about death: God exists, I’ll let you know the rest from the afterlife! I imagine that we will wake up without this body… But for now I don’t want to know more”, he jokes.
Mrs. Maria still smiles, it’s difficult to get bored with her husband Carlo. “I had three children,” concludes Bud. «I wish everyone the joy of raising children but I don’t allow myself to teach anyone anything». Let’s not treat him like a star who dispenses advice, otherwise he’ll end up… getting angry.
