Arnold Schwarzenegger reflects on his impressive career
Bodybuilder, box-office star, Governor of California… Arnold Schwarzenegger has covered very different roles in more than fifty years of career. A journey in which he returns Arnold, documentary in three episodes available on Netflix from June 7, 2023. Over the course of the series, one of the elements that emerges regularly is his insatiable spirit of competition. During his childhood, his father Gustav constantly pitted him against his older brother, Meinhard, and created a rivalry between them, often expressing his preference for the older one.
Years later, when he becomes a bodybuilding figure, the athlete has only one thing in mind: to win as many Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles as possible. Having won thirteen competitions, Arnold Schwarzenegger gets tired and decides to try his luck in Hollywood. The film debut was disastrous, with the rookie actor delivering ridiculous performances Hercules in New York AND cactus socket. But he never gave up, took acting lessons and won the Golden Globe for Best Newcomer in 1977 for his role as a bodybuilder in Be hungry.
In 1982, John Milius made him a bloodthirsty warrior Conan the Barbarian. Two years later, James Cameron turns him into a killer robot terminator, which was a box office success. Two cult films, which made him a star.
A fight to be “the last action star”
Determined to be THE face and muscles of American action cinema, Arnold Schwarzenegger finds an opponent his size: Sylvester Stallone. At the time, this other implacable embodied two characters who made his legend: the small forward turned boxing champion Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, the Vietnam veteran forced to take up arms again. Witnessing Schwarzy’s rise in Hollywood, Sly takes a negative view of him and realizes that it won’t just be in his specialty. In the documentary Arnoldthe actor, screenwriter and director recalls:
In ’77, Arnold was voted male revelation of the year. ‘What ?’ The 80s were interesting, because the quintessential “action star” didn’t exist yet. Up until then, an action movie was a movie with a chase, like Bullitt OR french connection. Whereas a film about “intelligence” had hints, hints, nuances. With Rambo, only the action counted. We rely on our bodies to tell the story. Dialogues weren’t necessary. I saw an opportunity because no one else was doing it except another Austrian guy who doesn’t need to talk much.
always having had “need an enemy”, Arnold Schwarzenegger assures for his part that “Sly was in front of (him) in the 80s”, and that he therefore did everything possible to “catch it up”. He adds:
Every time he released a film, rambo 2 for example, I had to find a way to overcome it.
“He wanted to be number one. Bad luck, he did it.”
The competition between them intensifies. From film to film, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone both want to have the biggest muscles, the biggest weapons, and the most dead bodies on the counter. And before they become friends and film together, the two stars simply want to collide, as Sylvester Stallone confides:
The competition between us was getting intense, like Ali and Frazier. Like great warriors crossing the same territory. There was only room for one. We had a radically different style of play. He was the top guy. He had the answer to everything. With body and strength. It was his character. I was trying to be the nice guy, but not overdo it. I had to get my ass kicked all the time. Arnold, he’s never been hurt. (…) The antagonism between us has been pushed to the extreme. We couldn’t bear to be in the same room. We had to part ways.
Arnold Schwarzenegger says so “He and Sly Were at War”. A fight of which the headliner predator won by chaining successes, as his former rival ironically admits:
He wanted to be number one. No luck, he got there.
A victory that could not have been so beautiful without the presence of such a formidable opponent, according to Schwarzy:
Without Stallone, I doubt I would have had that drive in the 80s to make those kinds of movies and work that hard. I am a competitive person. My whole life has always been like this.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
