Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two of the greatest names of action in Hollywood. Even though their style and approach are very distinct from each other, they are united by their love for action. But the Rush Hour fame is also sometimes seen taking a dig at the 7-time Mr. Olympia winner. Something similar happened when Chan talked about the Terminator lead’s accent in a video with GQ.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s accent has been a topic of discussion for a long time. The actor has frequently stated how his accent along with his physique were huge roadblocks in his early career days. It was quite a surprising and hilarious moment when during an interview with GQ, a fan claimed that both Jackie Chan and Schwarzenegger have a similar accent.
Do Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger possess similar accents?
It was during an episode of GQ’s special segment Actually Me, where the stars go undercover and comment on several comments of the fans across several platforms. A hilarious instance occurred when a fan commented that both the martial artist and the Governator have a similar accent.
Jackie Chan also used the chance to play it wittily and replied that his accent was ‘sexy’ while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s more ‘I’ll be back’.
“No, his accent is more ‘I’ll be back’. My accent is still like a baby. Quite sexy.”
There’s hardly anyone who didn’t catch the Terminator reference in Jackie Chan’s statement. But the fans know that it is not the first time when Schwarzenegger’s Around the World in 80 Days co-star took a dig at him. Earlier during an interview, the 69-year-old actor stated how anybody could have done Arnie’s role in his highest-grossing film–
“Take Terminator 2. The director’s good; the special effects are good; Schwarzenegger is nothing.”
But even after all that, both the stars share a sweet bond. Arnold Schwarzenegger also took to his social media to congratulate Jackie Chan when he received the honorary Academy Award for his extraordinary film career.
Was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s accent a problem in his career?
When the Austrian Oak decided to shift his focus from bodybuilding to acting, it was a tough road for him. Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s physical features are quite different than the classic Hollywood leading faces which led many people to think that he will never make it big in the industry. With his physique and accent, he was often given very minor roles.
“I remember that agents and managers, studio executives, always saying to me ‘forget it Arnold”… forget about acting. No one has ever made it with a German accent.”
But it was the same franchise used by Jackie Chan in his joke that helped Arnold Schwarzenegger rise as one of the most significant action heroes of all time- “So then comes (director James) Cameron and Terminator One”.
Surprising to all those who turned him down for his accent and physique, James Cameron praised the actor as the perfect fit for the role. According to the Titanic director, his accent was perfect for the lead in the science-fiction classic.
“He says ‘you know what makes this movie so successful and why people really bought it is because you talk like a machine… your German accent works to such an advantage.'”
It was quite a surprising turn of events how Schwarzenegger got the lead role even though he was initially slated to play the role of antagonist Kyle Reese. Initially, the titular role was to be done by OJ Simpson before Arnie’s dedication proved to Cameron that nobody can pull it off better.
Source: GQ
