“I Really Miss Him”: Emotional Arnold Schwarzenegger Still Coping With the Devastating Loss of His Best Friend After Almost 4 Years

In his 75 years of lifetime, Arnold Schwarzenegger has done things that only a few people on this planet can do. Be it bodybuilding, acting, or even politics, whatever field Arnold took up, he aced. And that is the very reason he is one of the most celebrated human beings across the world. But when it comes to Arnie, the most celebrated thing in his life has been his friendship with the former bodybuilder Franco Columbu.

Notably, it has been over four years since Columbu breathed his last. But even to this day, Arnold misses his friend the most. Most recently, the Austrian Oak became emotional when reminiscing about his friendship with Columbu.

Franco Columbu, the best friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Austrian Oak shared a snippet from his docuseries, in which he can be seen talking about Columbu. “I wish that everyone has a friend like Franco. @netflix,” he captioned the post. The Terminator actor introduces his best friend in the short clip and narrates the bond between them. “Now this is Franco Columbu also known as Dr. Franco Columbu because he was a doctor and chiropractic,” says Schwarzenegger in the clip. The Predator star passionately admitted that “he was my best friend and he was my training partner.” 

Arnie fondly remembers that Columbu is the only bodybuilder who trained the most with him. They met when the Governator was just 18 years in America. Though Sardinian Strongman was a powerful bodybuilder, his height didn’t fetch him the needed recognition. “So I was very sensitive about him being left behind,” said an emotional Mr. Freeze.

So, the action hero always tried to include Columbu in his movies. “It’s been the greatest, the closest relationship that I’ve had with any guy,” confesses the 75-year-old in the series. So, it isn’t surprising that the death of his best pal left Arnie devastated. After his friend’s demise, the bodybuilding legend goes to his living room every day to look over the chessboard. “That’s where Franco and I spent so much time. I really miss him,” he revealed. The Pumping Iron fame and Columbu were also known to set up a brick business in their early days.

The brick business of The Austrian Oak

Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to earn a steady income after landing in America and devised a plan with Columbu. They ventured into the brick-laying business, as Arnie’s friend is an expert in that.

The business didn’t take off well, so they published an advertisement in the L.A. Times, “Bricklayers and masonry experts.” Around that time, the city experienced an earthquake, and the duo was called to repair the damaged buildings.

Read More: Despite Different Backgrounds, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu Had an Unlikely Cardio Friendship

Soon the friends earned enough, and they started prepping for the bodybuilding competitions more seriously. Later, Arnie revolutionized the way people thought of bodybuilding pushing the sport to its magnificent heights.

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