Rome: Italian actor Bud Spencer, who starred in a string of spaghetti westerns, died on Monday in Rome aged 86, his family announced.
"With our deepest regrets, we have to tell you that Bud is flying to his next journey," the family said on Spencer's Twitter account in English.
The actor was known for past roles in action-comedy films together with his long-time film partner Terence Hill.
The two appeared in, produced and directed over 20 films together.
The main characters of Spaghetti Westerns achieved his first great success with They Call Me Trinity, the 1971 film which was set in the Wild West. Bud Spencer was a staple on Italian TV in the 1970s and 1980s, his character gaining much popularity among Maltese television audiences.
In 2005, the gentle giant of Italian cinema entered politics, unsuccessfully standing as regional counsellor in Lazio for the Forza Italia party.
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