Before making a name for himself in the film industry by starring in action films, such as the Terminator franchise, Predator and Commando, Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the world of bodybuilding. Along with multiple Mr. Universe titles, he also won Mr. Olympia for six years in a row and claimed the title for a seventh time in 1980. However, one of his childhood dreams was to pursue an acting career.
And he decided to do the same and landed the lead role in the 1969 film Hercules in New York. He continued landing lead roles and caught the eye of Oscar-winning director James Cameron, who cast him as lead for his 1984 film The Terminator. However, one of his co-stars did not find him suitable for the role, assuming that he couldn’t act.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Co-Star Doubted His Acting Skills
Arnold Schwarzenegger landed one of the biggest roles of his career in the 1984 movie, The Terminator. However, his bodybuilding background led many to assume that he was not the perfect actor for the role. Linda Hamilton, who starred alongside Schwarzenegger in the 1984 sci-i film, was also among them.
The Chuck actress has shared that the Predator star did not fit her “snotty definition” of being an actor. And she believed that he was just “a poser, a bodybuilder pretending to be an actor.” However, she was still curious to see him act. In the recently released Netflix documentary, the actress said,
“But because I was curious, I went and stood off the sidelines watching Arnold, and I bought it. The physicality and the stiffness, and all of the things that he was implementing. I was like, ‘OK, this might work.”
Hamilton played the character of Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise and starred alongside the FUBAR star throughout the franchise. They last reprised their characters in the 2019 film Terminator: Dark Fate. However, the Mr. Destiny actress was not the only one to doubt The Terminator star.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Wasn’t the First Choice For Terminator
The Netflix documentary also revealed that Arnold Schwarzenegger was not initially considered for the role of Terminator in the 1984 film. Orion Pictures, the studio that handled the production, wanted the True Lies actor to portray Kyle Reese and shortlisted O.J. Simpson as the Terminator for the 1984 film.
However, the Titanic director was not very enthusiastic about the casting as he wanted to cast a popular actor as the T-800. However, some of the biggest stars at the time, including Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson, rejected the offer.
Cameron eventually decided to meet Schwarzenegger, and the meeting convinced him that he was the perfect actor for the role of T-800. And he was right as the Austrian Oak owned the part with his intimidating and muscular build and emotionless acting.
Source: Arnold via Netflix
