Arnold Schwarzenegger, an absolute titan of Hollywood, has treated audiences to countless beloved movies and unforgettable lines. From action-packed blockbusters to touching dramas, he’s delivered unforgettable performances and lines that have become part of pop culture.
After years of speculation, he once finally revealed his top picks of some of the most iconic one-liners from this career in an interview.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Personal Favorite Top 5 Catchphrases from His Movies!
At the UK premiere of the 2013 movie, The Last Stand, during a press conference with Red Carpet News TV, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the cast fielded questions about the film and their careers.
Among the inquiries, everyone was eager to hear Schwarzenegger’s ultimate favorite catchphrase from the long list of movies he has done over the years. He then went on to say, “There is not, But probably several.” Here are some of the lines he picked,
“I’ll be back”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic role as the Terminator in the first film not only launched his career but also solidified his image as a formidable villain-turned-hero. In The Terminator scene at a police station, he is denied entry by the receptionist, Schwarzenegger thus then delivers this chilling line, to his pal Srah Connor. Since then, this phrase has forever been etched into the pop culture lore.
“I lied”
In the 1985 action flick Commando, yet another Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, he stars as John Matrix, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel on a mission to rescue his daughter from mercenaries. During a tense encounter with one of the villains, Sully, John darkly jokes that he’ll let him live, just long enough to kill him last. Later, dangling Sully over a cliff, John reminds him of this promise, as he says, “Remember when I said I’d promise to kill you last? I lied.” Chills! Literal chills!
“It’s not a tumor”
After dominating the gritty action scene of the ’80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger ventured into more family-friendly territory in Hollywood in the ’90s. One standout was his 1990 role in the comedy Kindergarten Cop.
The line pops up when his character complains of a headache, prompting a cheeky student to suggest he might have a tumor. Schwarzenegger’s response, “It’s not a tumor!”, delivered in his Austrian accent, has since become one of the internet’s golden memes.
“Get to the chopper!”
Whether in a heated video game match or in a normal conversation, people everywhere were echoing this classic Arnie gem. Hell, even Eminem in his song Just Like That, referenced this line. There was no escaping the iconic line from Predator, in the mid-2000s. A movie that by the way, has multiple iconic lines to choose from. Shouted by Schwarzenegger’s character Dutch to his ally, the line’s intensity and humor made it unforgettable.
“Stick around”
In another unforgettable moment from Predator, a movie that should be on everyone’s must-watch list, during a heated firefight, Dutch dispatches a guerilla soldier by impaling him on a tree with a thrown combat knife, quipping effortlessly, “Stick around.” Schwarzenegger’s delivery adds a touch of coolness to the horrible, yet iconic pun.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Credits Fans for the Triumph of These Iconic Lines
During the same panel discussion, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that these lines from his movies have taken on a life of their own, thanks not just to him but to the fans who embraced and popularized them. He said,
You know, these are classic lines. But the interesting thing is you never know ahead of time which line is going to make it because there are a lot of lines in movies, but somehow people themselves will pick the lines and make them famous. So you never know.
It’s remarkable how these lines, which probably would have been dismissed as corny if some other actor took on the job to deliver them, have garnered such immense love and recognition, a phenomenon people attribute in part to his distinctive accent.
This trope is something fans adore about Arnold Schwarzenegger, how unexpectedly memorable a single line can become. While he mentioned his top five favorites, the list of iconic Schwarzenegger quotes is quite long and instantly recognizable to fans worldwide.
