Known for his striking smile and athletic build, Hill has maintained remarkable fitness over the decades that amazes his fans and admirers.
Born Mario Girotti on March 29, 1939 in Venice, Hill began his acting career at a young age and appeared in a number of Italian films in the 1950s. He gained his first experiences in front of the camera at the age of twelve. In the 50s and 60s, the boom years of Italian cinema, he made films on an assembly line.
Mostly mass-produced, but he also starred in Luchino Visconti’s masterpiece “The Leopard”. In Germany he was known for supporting roles in various Karl May film adaptations: As Lieutenant Robert Merril in “Winnetou II” he was allowed to shake the Apache’s hand and marry the chief’s daughter Ribanna.
Mega success with Bud Spencer begins in 1967
However, he achieved his breakthrough alongside his long-time film partner Bud Spencer in the hit western comedy “God Forgives – Django Never!” (God forgives, i do not!) in 1967. This marked the beginning of a highly successful collaboration that produced a series of popular films, including Four Fists for a Hallelujah and Two Dogs of Heaven on the Way to Hell. The film duo celebrated resounding successes together in the truest sense of the word, because nowhere else did the fists fly as often and as brutally as with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill.
Despite his age, Hill remains surprisingly fit and agile, leading many to ask about his secret.
This is Terence Hill’s fitness secret
In numerous interviews, Hill has repeatedly emphasized that regular exercise, a balanced diet and a positive attitude to life are the key to his continued fitness and vitality.
“I have good genes. My father was the same way. When I ate with Bud Spencer and he cooked for us, he always said, ‘You eat more than me and I’ll get fat,’ he told the Austrian newspaper Kurier.
But what’s on the table for Hill? “I haven’t eaten meat or bacon like in the movies for years. But beans are still good. They have a lot of proteins. And always like lots of fresh vegetables from Umbria,” he recently told the “Bild” newspaper. Even at a young age, he maintained a healthy lifestyle: he preferred to eat apples and rice cakes during filming breaks, while his home buddy Bud Spencer preferred to devour noodles.
Hill’s life philosophy also includes a strong mental health component, the actor said in an interview with Italy’s RAI. He particularly emphasizes the importance of laughter and maintaining a youthful spirit, regardless of biological age.