“Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act”: James Cameron Was Furious after Arnold Schwarzenegger Tried Changing Iconic $78M Movie Line

"Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act": James Cameron Was Furious after Arnold Schwarzenegger Tried Changing Iconic $78M Movie Line
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Being a bodybuilder, actor, and even governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a lot of people angry over the years. Not to mention, the very public and very messy scandals that hounded him his entire life, leading to the disappointment of a lot of people and a divorce from his ex-wife Maria Shriver.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger

And although he had mostly accepted these instances and moved on with life, there was one instance that stuck with him for the remainder of his life, he claimed.

Basically, way back in the ’80s, he got into an argument about a specific line in his movie with director James Cameron, that almost turned too bad. Only for him to realize later, the masterpiece the visionary director created with that short sentence.

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Also Read: “I wanted to do it really badly”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Blames Director for Killing His $216M Sequel Dream With Danny DeVito After Tragic Incident

Arnold Schwarzenegger got into an argument with James Cameron

Arnold Schwarzenegger creating trouble on set is not news to most. Mainly because reports of his misdemeanor while working with other directors and actors alike are wildly famous in the industry.

In fact, not only were there reports of him throwing tantrums but he even faced some serious s**ual abuse allegations from his female co-stars over the years. Now, although the former governor of California seems to be a changed man, with his current co-stars praising his professionalism.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger with James Cameron
Arnold Schwarzenegger with James Cameron

Back in the earlier days of his career, however, the scenario was all too different. And the information of a seemingly on-set misdemeanor albeit minor, from that period of his life was reported by the True Lies star himself in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

When he was asked about his still being associated with his famous catchphrase from The Terminator, “I’ll be back,” he claimed that the origin of it was entirely accidental on his part. In fact, he got into an argument with James Cameron when he admitted that he was not comfortable with saying “I’ll,” and that “I will,” sounded way stronger to him.

And well, not one to be known for his virtue of patience, the Avatar director was not impressed. “Are you the scriptwriter now?” Cameron charged him, before continuing, “It’s just one word. Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act.”

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Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator

This started a heated argument with Schwarzenegger saying how Cameron tells him how to act every second. And it went on until James Cameron explained to him that even though he thought it sounded weird, it didn’t. In fact, Schwarzenegger noted, that Cameron explained to him,

“What makes it great is that you sound different than me or Charlie over there. That’s what makes it work.”

And so he had Schwarzenegger stand in front of the camera and repeat that sentence 10 times over with different tones and emotions until he got what he wanted. And the rest became history with people from all around the world coming up to him and asking him to recite his line over and over.

Also Read: “If this ever happened on a James Cameron film”: Danny DeVito’s Brutal Prank on His Close Friend Arnold Schwarzenegger Would Have Gotten Him Fired by James Cameron

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Arnold Schwarzenegger claims he is done with Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been trying to improve himself and become more aware of his surroundings and the current state of the world for quite some time. Be it through becoming somewhat of an influencer, writing self-help books, or becoming more empathetic toward his surroundings.

Arnold Schwarzenegger with James Cameron in an interview
Arnold Schwarzenegger with James Cameron in an interview

And although it might come from serving seven years in the governor’s office as he claimed, it does help people to become a lot more aware of how the world thinks and what it wants at this time.

Similarly, he claimed, when asked about the future of his iconic Terminator franchise, that although the franchise might not be done, he is done with it.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'FUBAR'
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘FUBAR’

He explained a bit further that although the franchise was largely responsible for his successful career, and although he would always look back on it fondly, “I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to The Terminator.”

And so, he noted, “Someone has to come up with a great idea.” But that someone will clearly not be him. 

Also Read: “Hurry up we need a new T-800”: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Joseph Baena’s Insane Workout Has Internet Convinced He’s the New Terminator

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However, it seems imperative to say that although he might never reprise his role in the franchise he basically birthed, he is doing quite well for himself. Starting with his TV series debut FUBAR releasing this month on Netflix, and then a documentary based on his own life arriving next on the same platform, things seem settled for him.

This fortunately brings joy and relief to both his fans and himself as he claimed that his ultimate plan is to live and act forever without the curtain ever closing. 

FUBAR arrives on Netflix on May 25th, and Arnold on June 7th, 2023. 

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Written by Anushree Banerjee

Articles Published: 179

Anushree Banerjee has a Master's in English, a dollar, and a dream to master the craft of writing stories one day. For now, she makes herself happy with anime, cinema, celebrities and the numerous books piling up on her shelf. After hustling a bit with technical writing, she has finally found her comfortable corner at FandomWire writing about people on the big screen.