The process of making an action movie can be hazardous for stunt performers and actors who dare to attempt their own stunts. Stunting is more than just pulling off a trick; it involves risking your life. It can be even riskier when taking place on a movie set with large explosions, fast-paced chases, etc. Consider the 1994 spy action comedy, True Lies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tia Carrere, among others.
The film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a husband, and father who struggled to balance his familial responsibilities with his secret life as a U.S. government agent.
True Lies, directed by James Cameron, was a box office success, drawing audiences from all over the world and quickly becoming recognized as a classic. However, the foot-stepping and nearly toe-breaking dampened the festive mood on set.
If only the actor would have paid attention to the advice the director gave him in the form of a sweet little annotation.
Yes, in a scene with his co-star, Tia Carrere, the 75-year-old actor made a mistake that could have cost the movie a month of production.
What Was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mistake In True Lies?
Have you ever heard of the horrifying incident that occurred in the 1990s while True Lies was being filmed? Tia Carrere, Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s female co-star, nearly suffered a crippling injury that nearly cost the film’s production.
While The Terminator actor’s characters in the movies have engaged in a variety of risky activities, dancing was the scene where Schwarzenegger pulled off his most dangerous stunts. He noted in the script that the tango scene, he performed with Lilo y Stitch actress would be his riskiest stunt when James Cameron sent it to him.
While the director was almost prescient.
Schwarzenegger was an accomplished dancer, but he made what might have been a risky error, as Carrere revealed to Yahoo:
“He did step on my toes. It would have been dangerous if I had broken my toes, I suppose, because that would have put us back 30 days in the production. … I think Arnold did an amazing job in the tango. He has great posture, and that’s all you really need.”
When he and Carrere shot the tango scene, the 75-year-old actor was long past his professional bodybuilding days, but he was not a twig. Even after practicing all the appropriate dance moves, he still managed to step on his co-star’s toes.
Schwarzenegger did not permanently harm Carrere, which was fortunate for the American actress-singer and the production schedule.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Tango Remains a Classic
Although director James Cameron did not place any bets on his lead actor’s dancing prowess, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s co-star praised the Commando actor for his (almost) perfect delivery in their tango scene. The 75-year-old’s irregular toe steps did occasionally present a minor challenge, but he was still able to complete the task.
Tia Carrere said:
“I think Arnold did an amazing job in the tango. “He has great posture and that’s all you really need.”
The 56-year-old actress was referring to her co-star’s overall performance, noting that professional tango was not nearly as easy as possessing good posture. Particularly given that he found it so challenging to learn the dance.
For the unversed, the Predator actor actually took dancing lessons and practiced the entire scene nonstop for six months to make sure he did not mess it up in the movie.
And sure enough, the tango scene was a lot of fun.
Well, True Lies is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source- Yahoo
