Following his feature film debut with the 1970 film Hercules in New York, Arnold Schwarzenegger went on to star in several movies. But his breakthrough role came with John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian, which marked a significant turning point in his career during the 1980s. Soon, he was starring as the villainous cyborg in James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator.
The film was a huge hit and has since developed into one of the most popular franchises in Hollywood. And during a recent interview, the Predator star shared that the director of the film credited the movie’s success to his thick Austrian accent.
James Cameron Applauded Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Accent
In a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared that during his initial years in Hollywood, he was advised to work on his accent. The actor claimed that he was told that his thick Austrian accent would become an “obstacle” for him to gain a leading-man reputation in the industry.
Unlike what he was told, it turned out to be a signature element for his on-screen characters. Schwarzenegger shared that many filmmakers he worked with praised him for the same, including The Terminator director James Cameron. He said,
“When I did Terminator, Jim Cameron said, ‘What made Terminator work and why it became successful is because Schwarzenegger talks like a machine.'”
The Oscar-winning filmmaker has shared that he was advised to cast the Commando actor in the role of Kyle Reese initially. However, he decided to cast Schwarzenegger in the title role after meeting him personally. “Well, he’s wrong for Reese. But he’d make a hell of a Terminator,” Cameron recalled telling studio executive John Daly in an interview.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Told He Would Never Become a Big Star
During an interview with GQ, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared that his goal was to become a leading man in Hollywood. However, when he first joined the industry, he was told many times that this would never happen due to his thick accent.
The actor recalled that he was told that “someone with an accent like [him] has never become a real leading man and a big star” in Hollywood. Not just his accent, but he was also told that his body was “way too big” to be a Hollywood star. However, all these things were the ones that turned out to be useful for his role in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian.
“All of this became an asset rather than a liability,” he said before adding, “So I proved to the world again never listen to the naysayers and always just plow ahead and do exactly what is your vision.” Schwarzenegger achieved what he aimed for and has since become a globally renowned actor with several blockbusters under his name.
The Terminator (1984) is available on Max.
