Birthdate: July 30, 1947
Birthplace: Graz, Austria
Occupations: Actor, Producer
Quote: "Everything I have ever done in my life has stayed. I've just added to it. Muscles will always be in the movies. I will never ignore or avoid them. I will add to them. I will add to my acting ability. I will add to the types of roles I will play. I will add to the kinds of responsibilities I take on with my movies. But I will not change. Because when you are sucessful and you change, you are an idiot." - Entertainment Weekly, June 11, 1993
Claim to Fame: Three-time Mr. Universe, seven-time Mr. Olympia; won first Mr. Universe title at age 20
Significant Other(s):
Brigitte Nielsen, actress
Wife: Maria Owings Shriver, TV journalist; born November 6, 1955; married April 26, 1986 in Hyannis, Massachusetts
Family:
Father: Gustav Schwarzenegger, police chief
Mother: Aurelia Schwarzenegger; died at age 76 on August 2, 1998; collapsed while visiting her husband's grave
Daughter: Katherine Eunice; born December 13, 1989; mother, Maria Shriver
Daughter: Christina Maria Aurelia; born July 23, 1991; mother, Maria Shriver
Son: Patrick; born September 18, 1993; mother, Maria Shriver
Son: Christopher Sargent Shriver; born September 27, 1997; mother, Maria Shriver
Biography
Over the last two decades, this charismatic Austrian bodybuilder has become one of the world's leading box-office attractions, married into one of America's foremost families and built a thriving business and real estate empire. Schwarzenegger played forgettable roles in several 1970s movies, first gaining attention as the subject of George Butler's fine documentary, Pumping Iron (1976). He earned a Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Male Newcomer for his role in Bob Rafelson's Stay Hungry (1977) and starred in two sword-and-sorcery sagas, Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984), each of which grossed over $100 million worldwide.
Schwarzenegger's screen persona - a physique that strains the imagination combined with a thick Austrian accent - received a major credibility boost with The Terminator (1984), which cast him as an alien ubermensch and established his trademark, automaton-like delivery of minimal lines such as "I'll be back." The modestly-budgeted film secured his status as an international star, established the careers of director James Cameron and producer Gale Ann Hurd, and set the pace for many of the violent, action-adventure, special effects-driven movies that would dominate the global market in the second half of 1980s. Schwarzenegger continued to star in such films for the rest of the 80s with the notable exception of the ludicrous, but successful, Twins, a 1988 comedy that paired him with Danny De Vito.
Schwarzenegger's career has been a carefully orchestrated one, reflecting an aggressive business and marketing acumen which has also brought him success in other fields (e.g., he now produces the "Mr. Universe" and "Mr. Olympia" pageants in which he once competed). With an eagerness not only to adapt to American life but to conquer it, reminiscent of the earlier immigrants who founded America's entertainment industry, he became a naturalized citizen in 1983 and joined the country's nobility with his 1986 marriage newscaster Maria Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family.
Filmography
Party in Rio
The American Sportsman: Wild Animals
Collateral Damage (2001)
The 6th Day (2000)
End of Days (1999)
Batman & Robin (1997)
Eraser (1996)
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Terminator 2: 3-D (1996)
The Universal Story (1996)
True Lies (1994)
Junior (1994)
Dave (1993)
Last Action Hero (1993)
The Last Party (1993)
Carnival in Rio (1992)
Christmas in Connecticut (1992)
Feed (1992)
Lincoln: The Making of a President, 1860-1862 (1992)
Lincoln: The Pivotal Year, 1863 (1992)
Lincoln: I Want to Finish This Job, 1864 (1992)
Lincoln: Now He Belongs to the Ages, 1865 (1992)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Total Recall (1990)
Tales from the Crypt, Vol. 3 (1990)
Red Heat (1988)
Twins (1988)
Predator (1987)
The Running Man (1987)
Raw Deal (1986)
Commando (1985)
The Making of "The Terminator" & "Missing in Action 2" (1985)
Red Sonja (1985)
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
The Terminator (1984)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Championships 1980 (1982)
Jayne Mansfield: A Symbol of the '50s (1980)
Scavenger Hunt (1979)
The Villain (1979)
Pumping Iron (1976)
Stay Hungry (1976)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Hercules in New York (1970)
Awards:
1976: Golden Globe: Best Male Acting Debut, Stay Hungry
1984: NATO: International Star of the Year Award
1987: NATO Male Star of the Year
1992: MTV Movie: Best Male Performance, Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1997: ShoWest: Humanitarian of the Year
Factoids:
Arnold considered a run for the California governorship in 2002 (he revealed to Talk magazine, November 1999 issue), but later decided against it
Education:
University of Wisconsin, Superior, Wisconsin; (B.A., Business and Economics, 1980)
Agency:
Mercury
