Arnold Schwarzenegger facts

Arnold Schwarzenegger's middle name is Alois.

· Producers did not think people would take too well to the last name Schwarzenegger for the movie Hercules in New York. Arnold was billed for the film as Arnold Strong, instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger. This was the only movie in which he was not credited under his real name.

· Arnold was offered the lead role for Hercules in New York right when he arrived to the U.S.

· True Lies almost did not get made. James Cameron was set to direct Spider-Man in 1994 with Michael Biehn signed on to play Peter Parker. However Cameron abandoned the project after he deemed it "too technically challenging" at the time. He opted to make True Lies instead. Spider-Man wound up being released 8 years later when technology caught up.

· Arnold was originally to play Kyle Reese in The Terminator. James Cameron did not like the idea and went to lunch with Arnold and was supposed to pick a fight to make him want to quit the role. However during the lunch both Cameron and Arnold agreed that Arnold would make a great Terminator.

· Lance Henriksen was James Cameron’s original choice to play the Terminator, however the movie production company was against the idea, so Lance stayed on the film as Det. Hal Vukovich. There are even some of Cameron’s drawings of Lance as the T-101 in the Special Features section of the Terminator DVD.

· The filming of 1984’s The Terminator had to be delayed because Arnold was already signed on to Conan the Destroyer and was unable to get out of the contract.

· Total Recall was originally set to be released in 1982 with Patrick Swayze to play Douglas Quaid. Due to financial issues the project was shelved for 8 years until Arnold contacted director Paul Verhoeven, and the 2 brought the film back to production.

· Arnold turned down sequels to Commando several times. Two of the Commando sequel ideas were turned into there own separate movies after Arnold turned down playing John Matrix again, they were Predator and Die Hard. Arnold was offered the role in both films again after they were no longer being presented as Commando sequels, he did Predator, but turned down Die Hard.

· Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the Predator. He was fired from the role and it was rumored that he was complaining about wearing the suit and wanted his face to be shown instead of wearing the Predator mask. Jesse Ventura also alleged in his autobiography that Van Damme intentionally injured a stuntman. Van Damme was replaces as the Predator by Kevin Peter Hall.

· Sylvester Stallone was mentioned in several Arnold films. In Twins, Arnold poses in front of a Rambo III poster, in Last Action Hero Stallone is revealed as the star of T-2 in Arnold’s fictional character world, in Jingle All The Way Arnold does an impersonation of Rambo, and in True Lies Helen Tasker says she “married Rambo” after she discovers her husband Harry (Schwarzenegger) was a secret agent. Subsequently, Arnold is mentioned in some of Stallone’s films as well. In Demolition Man Arnold is referred to as a former U.S. President which prompted Sly to say “they elected him President”. Stallone also referenced Conan in the movie Tango and Cash, and told his mother (Estelle Getty) that only the Terminator says I’ll be back when he did the film Stop or My Mom Will Shoot.

· Childhood friends said that Schwarzenegger often stated his goals of going to America, winning many body building titles, becoming a famous actor, marrying a Kennedy, and being a politician…..mission accomplished!

· After its success in Terminator, “I’ll be back” became Arnold’s catchphrase which he used in many of his other films including Commando, Raw Deal, The Running Man, Total Recall, and Last Action Hero.

· Arnold was afraid that playing the villain role in The Terminator would ruin his acting career. The movie was a complete success and the role made him a movie superstar.

· The same shopping mall was used in Commando and Terminator 2.

· The mansion used in the final shoot out between Matrix and Arius in Commando was the same mansion in the final shoot out between Axel Foley and Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop.

· Vernon Wells (Bennett) originally auditioned for the role of John Matrix in Commando.

· Arnold twice set the standard as the highest paid actor in Hollywood, first in 1991 with Terminator II for which he earned a reported 20 million dollars, and then again in 2000 for Terminator III for which he earned a reported 30 million dollars.

· The reason why Arnold’s character and even Commando team in the movie Predator was similar to his John Matrix role in Commando is because Predator was originally a sequel to Commando. Arnold turned down the Commando sequel but agreed to sign on to Predator after it became its own film.

· Predator 2 was the only sequel in which Arnold turned down that still wound up still being made without him. The movie was a failure in the box office.

· Sven-Ole Thorsen, who was Killian’s bodyguard in The Running Man, has starred in the most Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, 11. Most of the roles were very small appearances and he was often un-credited. In addition to being onscreen for 11 Arnold movies he also did stunt work for 3 other films in which he did not act in, and was an on set trainer for Total Recall.

· Prior to being elected as Governator of California in 2003, Arnold was rumored to be in talks to doing the following movies, Westworld, I am Legend, True Lies 2, King Conan: Crown of Iron and Terminator 4.

· Arnold was originally going to play Will Smith’s role for the movie I am Legend.

· Arnold Schwarzenegger served as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1990 to 1993. He was appointed by then President George H.W. Bush.

· Around 1999/2000 Schwarzenegger was heavily rumored to be preparing to run for Governator of California. He denied this at the time and in 2001 it was brought up again but he stated that due to movie commitments (mainly T-3) that we would not be able to run for office.

· Arnold Schwarzenegger is a dual Austria/United States citizen. He holds Austrian citizenship by birth and has held U.S. citizenship since becoming naturalized in 1983.

· Arnold does not accept his Governator's salary of $175,000 per year, and instead donates it to charities.

· Arnold auditioned for the role in the TV series, The Incredible Hulk, but was turned down due to his height (6’2”). The part was given to Lou Ferrigno (6’5”) instead.

· Arnold turned down a 3rd Conan movie, Conan the Conqueror. The script and cast were changed and the movie was released as Kull the Conqueror.

· End of Days in the only movie in which Arnold, playing as a human is killed. He is “terminated” in all 3 Terminator films, but his role was of a machine for each.

· Called by the Guinness Book of World Records, "the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world."

· At his bodybuilding peak, Arnold’s chest was 57", waist 34", biceps 22", thighs 28½", calves 20", and his competition weight was 235 lbs (260 lbs off-season).

· He was the first private citizen in the U.S. to own a Humvee.

· Arnold won the Mr. Olympia title 7 times, from 1970 to 1975, and in 1980.

· The “I’ll be back” line from The Terminator was originally written as “I’ll come back”.

· Arnold grew up in a house that had no phone, no fridge and no toilet.

· Was considered for the lead role of Flash Gordon (1980), but producers did not choose him due to his accent.

· Was considered for the movie Judge Dredd, the part went to Sylvester Stallone instead.

· Arnold was in talks for the movie Doc Savage in the late 90’s, however the film was never made.

· Arnold saved a man's life while on vacation in Hawaii in 2004 by swimming into the sea to rescue him from drowning.

· Turned down the role of Animal Mother in 1987’s Full Metal Jacket in order to do The Running Man instead.