When someone mentions Arnold Schwarzenegger, fans immediately think of his famous action movies such as Terminator, Commando, or Conan the Barbarian. The Austrian actor has become the epitome of a badass, strong, and fearsome action star, and people don’t usually know that Schwarzenegger has a funny side.
The 76-year-old actor proved his versatility and range in acting when he started doing comedy films. Most people would not believe it, but Schwarzenegger starred in a couple of funny dramas such as Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Jingle All The Way.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How He Got Into Comedy Films
In a podcast interview via Impaulsive, Predator star Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked about the works he is most proud of, though he did not want to pick just one because the actor believes that every project he has done in the past is very significant to him. He responded:
“Overall, I don’t want to pick a movie because to me, the action movies were as important as the comedies were, and I was very fortunate that I could show that I am really good at the action genre and that I could also cross over and do comedy. That’s very hard to do.”
Schwarzenegger discussed how being stereotyped as a man of action can affect the audience’s perception of him as a comedian. The actor reiterated the importance of embodying the role and making the viewers believe that he can deliver the performance. He continued:
“The trick of it is how you make it believable, that you as this action guy can actually be funny or the circumstances can be funny, and that to me, I think, was the proudest that I was able to do that.”
The FUBAR actor confessed he was very upset when director Ivan Reitman died in 2022. The Canadian filmmaker saw Schwarzenegger’s potential in comedy films, and he gave him his biggest break in the said genre after starring in Twins. He was also famous for helming the Ghostbusters movies.
Schwarzenegger shared the story of how Reitman and the late Robin Williams encouraged him to pursue comedy:
“It was Ivan Reitman who was in Aspen with me when we were up skiing, and one night we sat together with Robin Williams. They said to me, ‘You’re really funny, Arnold. I didn’t know that side of you.’ I said, ‘Well, you know, because in the movies you just see the serious Arnold that says, ‘I’ll be back.’”
Reitman and Williams suggested that Schwarzenegger should do comedy, and the actor was very eager to explore the genre, though he needed their help because studios wouldn’t let him veer away from action films.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares One Lesson He Learned In His Career
Being able to switch from serious action dramas to funny movies entails a lot of effort and training, and Arnold Schwarzenegger has some nuggets of wisdom to impart:
“The key thing is you have this in you the desire to grow or you don’t because that’s where it all begins… That’s what I did, I did my whole way and road, and my life was always different than everyone else.”
The True Lies actor may be popularly known for his action films and his profession as a former bodybuilder, but it cannot change the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger has the talent for amusing fans with his roster of comedy movies.
Source: Impaulsive
