Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career path from bodybuilder to movie star may seem puzzling at first glance. Before the natural-born Austrian immigrated to America and made his name in Hollywood, he was the youngest person ever to win the Mr. Universe title at the age of 20. He then proceeded to win the title another five times, as well as winning seven Mt. Olympia titles, all of which secured his status as a world-renowned athlete and bodybuilder in the 1960s and 70s.
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He started his acting career after moving to America in 1968, and his first role was in the 1970 film Hercules In New York. It wasn’t until 1982, however, that a breakout role in Conan The Barbarian paved the way for Schwarzenegger to become the Terminator in 1984. From here on, Arnold’s titanic place in the halls of cinematic history was cemented, and there was no looking back.
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What’s so remarkable about Arnold’s transition from bodybuilder to world-famous actor is that it was always his plan. The disparate careers were intrinsically linked in his mind from a young age, two adjacent steps on a grandiose path to the future he desired. Growing up in a devastated, impoverished post-WWII Austria made him ravenous for a better life, and as a teenager he fixed his mind on how to build one for himself. That future likely didn’t involve Schwarzenegger’s infamous stint as Mr. Freeze, but questionable roles aside, it’s safe to say he succeeded. In a 2001 speech in Sacramento, California (via Schwarzenegger), Arnold revealed his envisioned path from bodybuilder to actor:
“My own plan formed when I was 14 years old… One day, I saw a magazine in a store window. The cover showed a muscle man in an ancient warrior costume… It said, “Mr. Universe Now Starring In Hercules Movie….” It turned out that Hercules was an English guy who’d won the Mr. Universe title in bodybuilding, and parlayed that into a movie career…. Bingo! I had my role model! If he could do it, I could do it! I’d win Mr. Universe. I’d become a movie star. I’d get rich. One, two, three – bing, bang, boom! I found my passion. I got my goal.”
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That doesn’t mean that Schwarzenegger’s transition to ’80s action star from bodybuilder was easy, however. His first movie was 1970’s campy Hercules in New York. For the next 12 years, he struggled to find work, getting small roles in movies and one-off TV guest roles. It wasn’t until 1982’s Conan the Barbarian that Arnold Schwarzenegger broke through to find mainstream success in Hollywood, going on to star in classic action films Conan the Destroyer, The Terminator, Commando, Red Sonja, Predator, and The Running Man over the next five years. It’s a testament to Schwarzenegger’s determination that he stuck with it for over a decade, never giving up, before he landed his breakout role.
Between his iconic career in entertainment and Schwarzenegger’s upcoming movies and TV shows, it’s easy to forget he was ever anything other than a movie star. While his transition from bodybuilder to actor seemed as improbable then as it did now, he defied the odds and willed his way into the life and career he desired. If he hadn’t become an actor through bodybuilding, it seems likely that he would have found another career to pivot his way onto the silver screen. Just like the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn’t be stopped.
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