Arnold Schwarzenegger Biography
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is a well-known American actor of Austrian descent, a renowned bodybuilder, and a Republican politician. He gained fame playing the lead role in the "Terminator" film series, as well as starring in "Conan the Barbarian", "The Running Man", "True Lies", "Twins", "Junior", and others. He is a five-time "Mr. Universe" and seven-time "Mr. Olympia". In 2003, he became the 38th Governor of California.


In April 2017, Schwarzenegger's environmental activities were recognized with the rank of Commander of the French Legion of Honor.
Childhood and School Years
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in the small village of Thal, near Graz in Austria, to Gustav Schwarzenegger (1907–1972) and Aurelia Schwarzenegger, née Jadrny (1922–1998). The family was Catholic.




At 15, Arnold became seriously interested in the connection between the mind and the body: he wondered if it was possible to enhance the effect of workouts by properly tuning the mind. To find out, he began studying psychology. At 17, Arnold participated in a bodybuilding competition in Graz for the first time and took second place.If I missed a workout, I felt sick. The next day, I just couldn't look at myself in the mirror.
First Successes in Bodybuilding
In 1965, 18-year-old Schwarzenegger was drafted into the Austrian army where he gladly went, seizing the opportunity to finally escape his parental home. To Arnie's delight, he was assigned to the tank troops. He was drawn to these massive, powerful machines, and tank drivers got licenses to operate any vehicle - motorcycles, tractors, you name it.
It was only during his army service that Arnold started eating meat daily for the first time, and in combination with constant training, the results were dramatic: his muscle mass exploded so rapidly that he needed new military uniforms every three months.





Moving to the USA
From childhood, Arnold dreamed of making it to America, and his bodybuilding career gave him this opportunity. He made the move in September 1968 at age 21, settling in California.




Career in Cinema
Arnold Schwarzenegger began his film career in 1970, like many famous bodybuilders before him, including his idols Reg Park and Steve Reeves. Initially, directors were hesitant to cast him due to problems such as his strong accent, overly bulky physique that looked unnatural on screen, and a surname that was too difficult for Hollywood.











In 2017, the actor took over as host of NBC's reality show "The Apprentice" – a program where celebrities compete to raise money for charity.
The project "Triplets," a sequel to the movie "Twins," has been announced. This time, Eddie Murphy will join Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as the third unlikely twin. However, production details haven't been released yet.
In 2018, filming began on the sixth "Terminator" film, directed by James Cameron – who created the first two movies in the franchise. Linda Hamilton returned as Sarah Connor at age 60, alongside an older Edward Furlong. Schwarzenegger himself didn't play a cyborg this time, but rather the human who served as its prototype. The movie "Terminator: Dark Fate" premiered in 2019.


Politics
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Republican Party membership sets him apart in Hollywood, where most actors lean Democratic. But his views are notably centrist, more liberal than traditional Republican positions on many issues. For example, he is against the abortion ban and was critical of the war in Iraq. He's also been a consistent supporter of the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions and advocates for unrestricted stem cell research.




As a Republican early in his political career, Schwarzenegger opposed same-sex marriage. However, after extensive public debate, he changed his stance and began advocating for full marriage equality. His famous statement "I swore to defend the Constitution of the United States, and a ban on same-sex marriage contradicts it" resonated widely and helped pave the way for marriage equality nationwide.


There are persistent rumors that Arnold Schwarzenegger may run for President of the United States. At present, this is ruled out because the US Constitution states that only a person born in the country can become President.
Business
Along with acting and politics, Arnold Schwarzenegger has also achieved significant success in business. He started his own business in 1968 when he and his bodybuilding partner, Franco Columbu, established a bricklaying team. The business took off after the 1971 San Fernando earthquake created a construction and restoration boom. Schwarzenegger and Columbu reinvested their profits into a new venture – selling bodybuilding and fitness equipment plus instructional tapes through mail order.



Arnold Schwarzenegger's Personal Life
Arnold's brother Meinhard Schwarzenegger died in a car accident in 1971. Arnold was unable to attend his funeral due to visa issues, but he began financially supporting his nephew.
When it came to relationships with women, young Schwarzenegger genuinely viewed sex as simply "one of the functions of the body." He was often bluntly direct, propositioning women, and many were drawn to the muscular heartthrob.


In August 1977, Schwarzenegger started dating Maria Shriver, a television journalist and niece of President John Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. He chose between the two women only a year later when Sue gave him an ultimatum and he chose Maria.













Arnold Schwarzenegger Now
Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't appeared in many movies lately. He spends his downtime at his ranch with his menagerie of pets: dogs, pigs, and a donkey named Lulu.