Flashback Friday: Lucille Ball helped Arnold Schwarzenegger jumpstart his career with 'disastrous' role

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of our most interesting movie stars. Beginning his career as a bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger has had an interesting trajectory in Hollywood. And while nowadays he's considered an action icon and a bit of a comedy genius, he had a hard time getting started as an actor. Over the years, he's revealed that Lucille Ball helped him get started by inviting him to appear in one of her movies, helping him understand comedy and the meaning of a "live-taping" production. 

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Schwarzenegger shared his story in an interview that was shared years ago. "She was so sweet,” he said. “She saw me one time on a Merv Griffin Show, and she called me the next day in the gym when I was working out. She said, ‘Look, I saw you yesterday on Merv Griffin. You were funny, you have a great sense of humor. That’s very unique with someone of your build."

He revealed he had a "disastrous" audition for the show, but that Ball still called him back for the part. “I went in there, and I had no idea what she meant by ‘read.’ So I tried to read it like you read a book… and it was totally wrong because she wanted me to read like, ‘Get into the scene and act out the scene but use the script for help.’”

A terrifying live-taping experience

The film he appeared in was "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye," a comedy that was recorded with a live audience. Schwarzenegger revealed that the experience was terrifying and that he had some trouble due to his accent. He also didn't understand some of Ball's instructions, which is why he was so surprised to realize that a live audience was on set, reacting to their performances. 

“My English was not yet that good,” he explained in an interview with Graham Bensinger. “So I remember that she kept saying the whole week when we rehearsed, ‘You have to project more! You have to project more!’”

Schwarzenegger shared that he didn't understand much of Ball's advice, but that he's still grateful to her for taking a chance on him to this day. The two kept in touch over the years, with her congratulating him on the roles he was cast in and the advancement of his career.

“Lucille Ball was absolutely instrumental in my early career," he said. “And this is why I would never forget her.”