Arnold Schwarzenegger

Born in Thal, Styria, on July 30, 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger built one of cinema’s least conventional leading-man careers. An Austrian and American actor, he first became famous through bodybuilding, winning Mr. Universe and seven Mr. Olympia titles before turning his attention to the screen. That background was never something Schwarzenegger could—or wanted to—hide. His physique, Austrian accent and unusually formal delivery initially made acting difficult, but they eventually became central to his screen presence. Early appearances included the title role in Hercules in New York, a part in Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye and a Golden Globe-winning performance in Stay Hungry. The bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron then brought his competitive drive and calculated charisma to a wider audience. Conan the Barbarian gave Schwarzenegger his breakthrough as an action lead, while James Cameron’s The Terminator found the role that would define his film career. Its stripped-down dialogue and imposing physicality made perfect use of qualities Hollywood had once treated as obstacles. Through the 1980s and 1990s, films including Commando, Predator, The Running Man, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and True Lies established him as an international action star. Yet Schwarzenegger’s best work was rarely humorless. Twins, Kindergarten Cop and Junior showed that he understood the comic potential of his image, playing against his size and severity without abandoning either. Even his action performances often carried a knowingly exaggerated edge. His career later took another remarkable turn when he served as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. After a period away from leading film roles, he returned in projects including The Expendables series, The Last Stand, Escape Plan and further Terminator installments. He later took his first leading television-series role in the action comedy FUBAR, while the documentary series Arnold looked back across his bodybuilding, acting and political careers. Few screen careers have depended so completely on turning apparent limitations into a distinctive advantage.