Arnold Schwarzenegger is just as impressed with his career as we are.
In an interview with Howard Stern, the two discussed Schwarzenegger’s epic career, which went from successful bodybuilder to one of the most profitable blockbuster actors in Hollywood history.
When discussing his first movie role, “Hercules in New York,” a critically panned film that had an American actor dub over his own voice, Stern asked Schwarzenegger if he felt annoyed that they’d manipulated his presence on the film. Schwarzenegger said he experienced just the opposite. “I was so amazed that I just got off the boar and all the stuff I read about Hollywood and America became true. This is incredible. I must be dreaming,” he said. Afterward, Schwarzenegger shared that he started attending acting classes and all sorts of voice and accent removal coaches. “That guy should give me my money back, by the way,“ he said, making the studio laugh.
Schwarzenegger shared that he achieved all of his career dreams. “My dream was for me to make this a ticket into movies. And to elevate bodybuilding as a sport.”
Schwarzenegger recapped his career, claiming that it wasn’t the way his body looked that made him successful, but the work itself and his decision to believe in his dreams. “From the time you set a big goal, you will have the naysayers say ‘this is stupid, you’ll never make it, this is ridiculous, no one has ever done this,’” he said. “But you totally forget that you can break new ground and do things that no one has ever done before. I was determined to do that.”
Schwarzenegger was born in Austria and started his acting career in the ‘70s. Over the next two decades he starred in some of the world’s leading Hollywood franchises, including “Conan the Barbarian,” “The Terminator,” “Predator,” and more.
