Today, he is famous worldwide! 76 years ago, he took his first steps in cinema. Did you recognize him?

An unforgettable face of the action comedies he filmed with his friend Terence Hill, the king of good-natured slaps, this actor shot his first film in 1950.

If there is one face and physique that audiences from the 60s to the 90s know well, it is that of Bud Spencer, who portrayed many grumpy and tough characters alongside Terence Hill, his partner on and off the screen. He was Banana Joe, Bulldozer, Flatfoot, Sheriff Hall, Bambino, and Malabar, but had you ever seen him in his very first role?

Did you recognize him?

Briguglio Films

You might have recognized him even though he is mostly known for his bushy beard, but it is indeed Bud Spencer! He was 21 years old, and in this fantasy comedy titled Quel fantasma di mio marito (1950), which could be translated as "My Husband, the Ghost." Spencer appears as a swimmer saving a woman from drowning.

Directed by Camillo Mastrocinque, the feature film tells the story of a journalist who fakes a fatal accident to return to Italy as a hero, except he comes back... as a ghost! Starring Walter Chiari and Mady Saint-Michel, this film gives only a small scene to Bud Spencer, who was still called Carlo Pedersoli at the time.

A small role in 1950, and what happened next?

Lisa Film

Very athletic, the young Carlo Pedersoli (who is not yet Bud Spencer) begins his film career and then becomes an athlete. A water polo player and a distinguished swimmer, he was the first Italian to swim the 100 meters in under "1 minute," participating in the Helsinki (1952) and Melbourne (1956) Olympics.

After playing a guard in Quo Vadis by Melvyn Leroy, the young actor worked with Mario Monicelli (A Hero of Our Time) and Charles Vidor (Farewell to Arms), before taking a long seven-year break.

It was thanks to the rise of the Italian western that Carlo Pedersoli became Bud Spencer and revived his career. He participated in an informal trilogy alongside Terence Hill (God Forgives, I Don’t, The Four of the Ave Maria, and The Hill of Boots), while also shooting his own projects, still within the genre (5 Golden Triggers, 5 Armed Men, No Mercy for Scoundrels).

Duo with Terence Hill

Cineriz

It was at the end of this very serious "western arc" that he became a true comedic duo with Terence Hill in They Call Me Trinity (1970) and its sequel, Trinity Is Still My Name (1971). The formula is simple: humor, antagonistic characters who end up liking each other, a good cause to defend, and a common villain to face with plenty of relaxed slaps.

They would shoot 17 films together, and Bud Spencer, like Terence Hill, would have a quite respectable solo career, continuing with family-friendly films, such as the Flatfoot series (4 films), but also Banana Joe, I’m Called Malabar, Aladdin, Angel or Demon, and The Sheriff and the Aliens.

While Terence Hill continues his career, Bud passed away on June 27, 2016, at the age of 86.