Arnold Schwarzenegger stands as one of the most bankable actors of all time, having broken numerous box office records with action thrillers like The Terminator franchise and Commando. He has also shown that he’s a man of many talents by proving his mettle as a businessman, filmmaker, and politician.
However, it won’t be far-fetched to say that it’s the bodybuilding arena that defined his career and life. During his army service in Austria, the 18 year old Schwarzenegger remained focused on taking part in bodybuilding competitions and eventually caught the attention of Charles Bennett, who trained him in London. He kept getting better and became the youngest ever Mr. Universe at the age of 20 in the process. His passion for the sport eventually led to him moving to the US in 1968 and he never looked back since.
How Arnold Schwarzenegger Reacted After He Was No Longer the Greatest Bodybuilder of All Time
Across the 80s and 90s, the rivalry between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone was a big talking point in Hollywood, as the two physically gifted actors often went head to head for box office records, attempting to one-up each other through iconic action franchises like Rocky and The Terminator.
In the bodybuilding circles, when Schwarzenegger was making waves at the box office, Lee Haney was starting to threaten the actor’s status as the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
When asked about how he felt after being dethroned by Haney, Schwarzenegger said (via Muscular Development Magazine):
“You know, you have two feelings. One of them you feel like, okay. Someone has broken the record. But still, inside you, there’s a part that says, ‘Sh**’! What the hell has just happened here?”
The bodybuilder-turned-actor added that he also felt joy because he has known Haney for a long time and knows the struggle he went through to achieve the feat. A class act as always!
Read more: “No one knows”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Exposes One Big Lie Of Clint Eastwood About His Body
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Initially Struggled to Breakthrough in Hollywood
Despite being overtaken by Haney and then later Ronnie Coleman, Schwarzenegger is still considered one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time and certainly the most famous one thanks to his groundbreaking work in Hollywood.
After seeing his work in movies like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, and Total Recall, one might assume that it was easy for the 76-year-old to break enter Hollywood doors. But that’s far from the truth, as in the 70s, he was considered too big to make it as an actor.
“… In the 70s when I said I wanted into movies, all the producers and directors said to me ‘it was never gonna happen,’ and one the reasons was that my body was too big,” he revealed to Team Coco.
A decade later, the trend completely changed and stars like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme became go-to men for action flicks.
