Arnold Schwarzenegger won the first amateur Mr. Universe title in 1967. But America played a huge role in getting him three more. Arnie moved to California in 1968 to train and compete in bigger events in the United States.
He moved at age 21, knowing little to no English. There, he trained at Gold’s Gym in Venice, Los Angeles, California, under Joe Weider’s supervision. And it changed the course of his life forever.
Even though the Austrian Oak always had a desire to live in the U.S., the nation initially was a huge “disappointment” for him.
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Why Did America Let Down Arnold Schwarzenegger?
In an article published by the Atlantic, Arnold Schwarzenegger noted that he had dreamt about coming to America from the moment he saw images of the United States in elementary school. To him, “the photos and film of towering skyscrapers, huge bridges, wide freeways, and Hollywood represented a land of limitless opportunity. “
But when Schwarzenegger actually arrived in America, he was let down by the state that he would later govern for eight years. In an interview with the Financial Times, the 76-year-old said:
“You drive down to Gold’s Gym in Venice, and I was like: why are they not sweeping the sidewalks? It’s outrageous that they aren’t cleaning the sidewalks! You know, in Austria, everything is clean. Why are there all these little houses? I thought there were high-rises in America. I imagined big, tall buildings like in Rio de Janeiro. And then they showed me Hollywood, and that was a huge disappointment!”
Arnie’s dreams clashed with the realities of the country he had only heard about. He always thought it to be like something opposite of Austria, but it was nothing different. The Austrian native mentioned “Hollywood” because it, too, fell short when he faced criticism from industry insiders for who he was.
The Hollywood Execs Gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a Reality Check
In an episode of Rob Lowe’s podcast, Literally!, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that in the 1970s, Hollywood executives told him it wouldn’t work. There were three reasons for that—his German accent, muscular physique, and big surname.
Regarding the German accent, the execs said, “It’s not gonna work, you getting in the movies, and especially not being a leading man.” They said that his “German accent is scary for most Americans — it reminds them of the Nazis.”
For the surname, they quipped, “No one would be able to pronounce Schwarz… What’s your name? Schnitzel, or something like that?”
About the muscular body, they commented, “Look at the stars today… Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, De Niro, Woody Allen. Those are the sex symbols. People don’t want to see big muscles. You’re 100 pounds too heavy. Forget it.’” But later, the Terminator star defied all the odds and emerged as the leading action star of all time.
