Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Agent Said ‘Terminator’ Would Ruin His Career

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Agent Said 'Terminator' Would Ruin His Career

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the greatest action stars of all time, and at his peak he received some of the biggest paydays in Hollywood. Things worked out well for the former bodybuilding champion, but if he had listened to his agent early in his career, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did. Let’s take a look at Arnold and the film that his agent thought would ruin his career.

Arnold’s Agent Said ‘Terminator’ Would Ruin His Career

So, which movie of Arnold’s was he warned about taking? Unbelievably, the film in question is The Terminator, which remains one of the greatest action movies of all time. According to Chillopedia, “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s agent heavily warned him of accepting the lead role of The Terminator in the sci-fi action movie of the same name; saying that it would be the end of his career.” It has been said before that Arnold himself was not too keen on playing the villain in the movie. Instead, he wanted to play the hero. Even director James Cameron noted that it shouldn’t have worked.

Why The Terminator’s Arm & Chip Recovery Scene Was Deleted

“Casting Arnold Schwarzenegger as our Terminator, on the other hand, shouldn’t have worked. The guy is supposed to be an infiltration unit, and there’s no way you wouldn’t spot a Terminator in a crowd instantly if they all looked like Arnold. It made no sense whatsoever. But the beauty of movies is that they don’t have to be logical. They just have to have plausibility. If there’s a visceral, cinematic thing happening that the audience likes, they don’t care if it goes against what’s likely,” Cameron said.

Nevertheless, Arnold went against his agents wishes and his own desires to play the villainous titular character. As we saw, things worked out just fine. To this very day, the film remains one of the best that Arnold appeared in. What’s more, is that the character is one of his most iconic. It just goes to show you that agents don’t always know what’s best for a performer, and that taking risks can pay off abundantly.

Some Of His Films Haven’t Worked Out

Just like any other major Hollywood performer, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career has not been free from box office bombs. It’s always nice to focus on the successful films, but to get the full picture, we really need to take a look at some of the movies that didn’t pan out. One notable flop was Batman & Robin, a film which cast his as the villainous Mr. Freeze. As the villainous Mr. Freeze, Arnold delivers an endless litany of ice puns, each less funny than the one before it.

It’s a classic case of an actor cast not for what he could bring to the role, but for what he could bring to the foreign box office,” Variety said about the film. Other misfires include movies like Jingle All the Way, The 6th Day, and Sabotage. Early in his acting journey, Arnold was warned that a promising role could ruin his upstart career, but the actor chose to roll the dice, unlocking superstardom in the process.