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1-13 of 13
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Bud Spencer, the popular Italian actor who starred in innumerable spaghetti Westerns and action-packed potboilers during the 1960s and 1970s, was born Carlo Pedersoli on October 31, 1929, in Naples. The first Italian to swim the 100-meter freestyle in less than a minute, Spencer competed as a swimmer on the Italian National Team at the Olympic Summer games in both Helsinki, Finland, in 1952 and Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. He was also an Olympic-class water polo player.
Educated as an attorney, he was bitten by the acting bug and appeared as a member of the Praetorian Guard in his first movie, MGM's epic Quo Vadis (1951) (which was shot in Italy) in 1951. During the 1950s and first half of the 1960s he appeared in films made for the Italian market, but his career was strictly minor league until the late 1960s. He changed his screen name to "Bud Spencer" in 1967, as an homage to Spencer Tracy and to the American beer Budweiser. Spencer allegedly thought it was funny to call himself "Bud" in light of his huge frame.
After the name change, Spencer achieved his greatest success in spaghetti Westerns lensed for a global audience. Teaming up with fellow Italian Terence Hill, the two made such international hits as Ace High (1968) and They Call Me Trinity (1970) ("They Call Me Trinity"). Their dual outings made both stars famous, particularly in Europe. In all, Spencer made 18 movies with Hill.
He became a jet airplane and helicopter pilot after appearing in All the Way Boys (1972) and owned an air transportation company, Mistral Air, which he founded in 1984. However, he terminated his business interest in Mistral and entered the children's clothing industry. After 1983 Spencer's movie career slowed down, though he did have a big success in the early 1990s with the TV action-drama series "Extralarge". A man of many talents, Spencer wrote screenplays and texts for some of his movies. He also has registered several patents.
Spencer married Maria Amato in 1960 and they have three children, Giuseppe (born 1961), Christine (1962) and Diamante (1972).
In 2005 Spencer entered politics, standing as regional councillor in Lazio for the center-right Forza Italia party. He became a politician specifically at the bequest of then-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. According to Spencer, "In my life, I've done everything. There are only three things I haven't been - a ballet dancer, a jockey and a politician. Given that the first two jobs are out of the question, I'll throw myself into politics."
Berlusconi, who was a media tycoon in the vein of Rupert Murdoch before he entered politics, recruited Spencer as he was "still a major draw for the viewer, alias the voter." Critics of Berlusconi--who tried to retain power by launching a campaign to portray his allies as the embodiment of "good" and the leftists of the opposition as "evil"--was derided as an example of "politica spettacolo" ("showbiz politics").
Spencer announced his new career at a "Felliniesque" press conference at a Rome hotel, at which he hardly moved and had little to say except homilies about upholding family values. Spencer sat between two Forza Italia handlers, and according to one major Italian newspaper, "From one moment to the next, you expected this mountain of a man to grab the heads of the two presenters and smack them together in his usual style, as he has been seen doing countless times on the big screen and television." The audition proved to be a flop: Spencer lost the seat, and Berlusconi's party was swept from power in 2006.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Aharon Ipalé was born on 27 December 1941 in Morocco. He was an actor, known for The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). He died on 27 June 2016 in Tel Hashomer, Israel.- Actor
- Production Designer
Ronald Falk was born on 23 August 1935 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He was an actor and production designer, known for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), Secret City (2016) and Jack Irish (2016). He died on 27 June 2016 in Australia.- Shelley St. Clair was born on 28 December 1950 in Lubbock, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), Black Samson (1974) and Starsky and Hutch (1975). She died on 27 June 2016 in Amarillo, Texas, USA.
- Colin Anson was born on 13 February 1922 in Berlin, Germany. He was married to Alice Hedy Gross. He died on 27 June 2016 in Watford, England.
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Mack Rice was born on 10 November 1933 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA. He was a composer, known for Road House (1989), The Brave One (2007) and Miss Congeniality (2000). He was married to Laura. He died on 27 June 2016 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Eddie Villamayor was an actor and producer, known for Alkitrang dugo (1975), Banaue: Stairway to the Sky (1975) and Condemned (1984). He died on 27 June 2016 in Quezon City, Philippines.- Alvin Toffler was born on 4 October 1928 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Camera Three (1955), The Singularity Is Near (2010) and Day at Night (1973). He was married to Heidi Toffler. He died on 27 June 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
John Poteat was born on 26 March 1967 in Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Naked Truth (1992), Silk Stalkings (1991) and Between Waves (2018). He was married to Tonya Knight. He died on 27 June 2016.- Simon Ramo was born on 7 May 1913 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was a writer, known for All About Polymorphics (1960) and Pandora's Box (1992). He was married to Virginia Smith. He died on 27 June 2016 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Tom Kelly was born on 29 June 1927 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor, known for Against All Odds (1984), The Fall Guy (1981) and The Fourth War (1990). He was married to Danusia. He died on 27 June 2016 in Encino, California, USA.
- Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was born on 21 November 1932 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a composer, known for Kys til højre og venstre (1969), Desertøren (1971) and Mordet i værtshuset (1965). He died on 27 June 2016 in Denmark.
- Amar Suloev died on 27 June 2016 in Anapa, Russia.