Schwarzenegger, Arnold
Identification Champion bodybuilder and actor
Born July 30, 1947; Thal, Austria
Schwarzenegger began a career as an action film star in the
1980’s, performing in a series of successful films. By the end
of the decade, he was poised to become a superstar.
After winning his first Mr. Universe bodybuilding ti-
tle in 1967, Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to the
United States the following year to pursue business
opportunities, including a movie career. His first
and last movies of the 1970’s,Hercules in New York
(1970) andThe Villain(1979), were both commer-
cial and critical failures. However, he won a Golden
Globe as New Star of the Year—Actor for a support-
ing role as a bodybuilder in the filmStay Hungr y
(1976), and he was featured in the documentary
Pumping Iron(1977).
In 1980, Schwarzenegger won his last major body-
building title and was cast as the husband of the title
character in the television movieThe Jayne Mansfield
Stor y(1980). Since Mansfield’s husband was born
in Hungary and became a champion bodybuilder,
Schwarzenegger was an obvious choice. Schwarz-
enegger finally found success as the male lead of a
theatrical film inConan the Barbarian(1982). A series
of successful action movies, beginning withThe Ter-
minator(1984), made him an action star, although
none of the films surpassed the milestone $100-
million mark at the box office. His only film of the
1980’s to achieve that level of success was a comedy,
Twins(1988).
In 1987, Schwarzenegger received a star on Holly-
wood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame and was named
Male Star of the Year by the National Association of
Theater Owners.Forbesmagazine listed him as one
of the ten wealthiest entertainers in the United
States in 1989. By that time, several of his films
had achieved cult status, particularlyThe Terminator,
which was initially only a modest success but would
spawn two blockbuster sequels in later years.
Schwarzenegger became an American citizen in
1983 and laid the groundwork for his political career
when he spoke on Ronald Reagan’s behalf at the
1984 Republican National Convention and cam-
paigned for George H. W. Bush in 1988. He joined
the United States’ most prominent political family
in 1986, when he married Maria Shriver, niece of
President John Kennedy and Senators Robert and
Edward Kennedy.
Impact Schwarzenegger spent the 1980’s building
a following among die-hard science-fiction and ac-
tion fans, earning a reputation as one of the major
action heroes of the decade. Each of his films was
only a modest success, but he proved to be a consis-
tent leading man and an iconic figure. At the end of
the decade, he was poised to achieve superstar sta-
tus, and during the following decade, he starred in a
steady stream of blockbusters.
Further Reading
Andrews, Nigel.True Myths: The Life and Times of Ar-
nold Schwarzenegger.Secaucus, N.J.: Birch Lane
Press, 1996.
Flynn, John L.The Films of Arnold Schwarzenegger.Rev.
ed. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol, 1996.854 Schwarzenegger, Arnold The Eighties in America
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan the Barbarian in 1984’s se-
quel,Conan the Destroyer.(AP/Wide World Photos)