1. He Knew From A Young Age He Wanted To Be A Bodybuilder
Arnie first picked up a barbell at the age of 13, and at the age of 14 he chose bodybuilding as a career. He was so dedicated to his work that on weekends (when it was closed) he would rush into the local gym to train. This is a man who, from a very early age, knew exactly what path he wanted to take, and he did it. Amazingly inspiring story!
2. He Learned English In The East End Of London
Arnie learned English in London’s East End whilst staying with his coach, Charles Bennett, in Forest Gate. It is surprising then, that he doesn’t say something like “I’ll be back after I’ve been up and down the old apples and pears a few times, then I’m off for a Ruby Murray, anyone fancy a pint of warm beer?” That would certainly have been a very different take on The Terminator!
3. He Went AWOL From The Army To Pursue His Dream
During his year of national service in the Austrian Army, Arnie went AWOL during basic training to attend a bodybuilding competition. This disobedience meant he had to spend a week in an army prison. And again, Arnie showed those around him that he knows exactly what he wants and is ready to do whatever it takes to make his dream come true!RELATED:
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Film Career
4. He Was Credited With A Different Name On His First Film
Arnie’s first film role was as Hercules in the 1970 film Hercules in New York, in which he was credited as “Arnold Strong”. Schwarzenegger may be a talker, but it definitely sounds better than “Arnold Strong”, which sounds very corny, can you imagine the gruff voiced announcer in the trailer… “Arnold Strong is… The Terminator”! It just doesn’t sound right!
5. He May Have Been An Illegal Immigrant
Arnie moved to the US when he was 21, but there were allegations that he may have violated his visa and was therefore an illegal immigrant. We can’t accept that if it’s true, but it does show that he was serious about pursuing his dreams and chasing them as far as he could.
6. He Could Have Been The Hulk
He was considered for the lead role in the 1970s TV show The Incredible Hulk, but lost out to Lou Ferrigno because he wasn’t tall enough. However, in my opinion, they made the right choice, as Lou Ferrigno has a masterly ability to act with his eyes, creating a sense of injustice and making you almost feel sorry for something that I don’t think Arnie could do.
7. His Legendary Line Could Have Been “I’ll Come Back”
Yes, Arnie’s legendary “I’ll be back” line in ‘The Terminator’ was originally written as “I’ll back.” This is one of those incredibly minor tweaks that we are glad happened as it just sounds so much better as “I’ll be back” and it makes you wonder if it would have been so massively copied and quoted if it was “I’ll come back” – personally I suspect not!
8. He Could Have Starred In Die Hard
Incredibly, Schwarzenegger turned down the role of John McClane in Die Hard. Ironically, the film’s future star Bruce Willis has a line in the film where he says the terrorists “have enough explosives to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger.” This is another one of those cases where we’re really glad the story turned out the way it did – can you imagine anyone other than Bruce Willis playing John McClane?
9. He Had The Best Body In The History Of The World
The Guinness Book of World Records called Schwarzenegger “the most beautifully developed man in world history.” This is quite a feat and certainly a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment that Arnie puts into his business!RELATED:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Transformation (2023) | From 1 To 75 Years Old
10. He Also Holds Another World Record
Arnie has hit the most animals in the movies, hitting two dogs, two camels and a reindeer. I’m not entirely sure this is necessarily a world record he should be proud of, but the deer scene in “Jingle All The Way” is just hilarious!
11. His Dollar To Word Ratio In Terminator 2 Was Pretty Decent
He was paid $21,429 for every word he spoke in Terminator 2. Great. Perhaps he should have asked for a few extra lines and made even more money, but I suspect that didn’t quite work out that way!
12. He Liked To Reside In Style When Filming
It was reported that in addition to the $30 million he was paid for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Arnie’s contract stipulated that $1.5 million of the budget was to be allocated for private jets, a gym, hotel rooms and limousines. and personal bodyguards, which he can use at any time. Good!
13. He Saved A Man’s Life For Real
Arnie saved a drowning man in 2004 while on vacation in Hawaii. The man was suffering from multiple seizures when Arnie noticed him struggling in the water. He swam to a man who told him he couldn’t swim back to shore due to cramps, and Arnie helped him get back safely – hero!
14. He Still Works Out Alot
Schwarzenegger trained for 6 months, 3 hours a day, before filming began on Terminator Genisys. However, young Arnie’s body was provided by bodybuilding actor Brett Azar, as his physique was seen to most closely match that of Arnie from the first film.
15. He Accomplished All Of His Childhood Goals
Childhood friends said Arnie told them his goals in life were to move to America, become an actor and marry Kennedy. Of course he did all three. However, it’s good to see that he really had to work hard to get there and he didn’t have it all handed to him on a plate, so he certainly deserves some credit for that!RELATED:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding Career
