Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger: Actor, Bodybuilder, Politician

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA) (born Thal, Austria, July 30, 1947) is an Austrian bodybuilder, actor and a politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. As a young man, Schwarzenegger gained widespread attention as a highly successful bodybuilder, and later gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film star, perhaps most famed for his role in the The Terminator series. Schwarzenegger was nicknamed “The Austrian Oak” in his body building days, “Arnie” during his acting career, and more recently “The Governator” (a portmanteau of Governor and Terminator, referring to his internationally popular film role).

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, a city bordering the Styrian capital Graz, and christened Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger. His parents were the local police chief Gustav Schwarzenegger (1907 – 1972), and his wife, the former Aurelia Jadrny (1922 – 1998). They were married on October 20, 1945 – Gustav was 38, Aurelia a 23-year-old widow with a son named Meinhard. According to Schwarzenegger, both of his parents were “very strict”.”Back then in Austria it was a very different world –” he says, “if we did something bad or we disobeyed our parents, the rod was not sparred [sic].”It was a Roman Catholic family who attended Church every Sunday.Gustav, a frequently drunk local police chief, signed up for the Nazi party after the 1938 Anschluss. Still, in 1947, Gustav was allowed to work as a police officer as there was no evidence he had committed war crimes. He had a preference for Meinhard, the elder of the two sons.Schwarzenegger has said his father had “no patience for listening or understanding your problems…there was a wall; a real wall.”Schwarzenegger had a good relationship with his mother and kept in touch with her until her death.Schwarzenegger has reportedly disavowed Nazi views.In later life, Schwarzenegger commissioned the Simon Wiesenthal Centre to research his father’s wartime record, which came up with no evidence of atrocities.At school, Schwarzenegger was apparently “in the middle” but stood out for his “cheerful, good-humoured and exuberant” character.

As a boy, Schwarzenegger played many sports – heavily influenced by his father.He picked up his first “barbell” in 1960 when his soccer coach took his team to a local gym. At the age of 15 Schwarzenegger chose body-building over a career as a soccer player.Schwarzenegger has responded to a question asking if he was age 13 when he started weight-lifting: “I actually started weight training when I was fifteen but I’d been participating in sports, like soccer, for years so I felt that although I was slim, I was well-developed, at least enough so that I could start going to the gym and start Olympic lifting.”Schwarzenegger took to visiting a gym in Graz, where he also frequented the local cinemas to see bodybuilding idols such as Reg Park, Steve Reeves and Johnny Weissmuller on the big screen. “I was inspired by individuals like Reg Park and Steve Reeves.”In 1961 Schwarzenegger met former Mr Austria Kurt Marnul who invited him to train at the gym in Graz.He was so dedicated as a youngster that he was known to break into the local gym on weekends, when it was usually closed, so that he could train.”It would make me sick to miss a workout… I knew I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror the next morning if I didn’t do it.”Schwarzenegger was asked about his first movie experience as a boy, he replied: “I was very young, but I remember my father taking me to the Austrian theaters and seeing some newsreels. The first real movie I saw, that I distinctly remember, was a John Wayne movie.”

In 1971, Meinhard died in a car accident.He has since said that his brother was driving drunk. Gustav died the following year from a stroke.In Pumping Iron, Schwarzenegger claimed that he did not attend his father’s funeral because he was training for a bodybuilding contest. Later, he and the film’s producer both stated that this story was taken from another bodybuilder for the purpose of showing the extremes that some would go to for their sport, and to make Schwarzenegger’s image more cold and machine-like to fan controversy for the film.Barbara Baker, his first serious girlfriend has said he informed her of his father’s death without emotion and never spoke of his brother.

Move to the United States

Schwarzenegger moved to the United States in September 1968 at the age of 21, speaking little English.He confirms his poor grasp of English: “Naturally when I came to this country, my English was very bad, and my accent was also very strong which was an obstacle as I began to pursue acting.”There he trained at Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica, California, under the patronage of Joe Weider. From 1970-1974, one of Schwarzenegger’s weight training partners was Ric Drasin, the bodybuilder and professional wrestler who designed the original Gold’s Gym logo in 1973.Schwarzenegger also became good friends with professional wrestler “Superstar” Billy Graham.

Political Career

Schwarzenegger is a registered Republican. In 1985, Schwarzenegger appeared in Stop the Madness, an anti-drug music video sponsored by the Reagan administration. He first came to wide public notice as a Republican during the 1988 Presidential election, accompanying then Vice President George H.W. Bush at a campaign rally. Attacking Bush’s Democratic opponents, he said to the crowd: “They all look like a bunch of girlie men, right?”

Schwarzenegger’s first political appointment was as chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, on which he served from 1990 to 1993.He was nominated by George H. W. Bush, who dubbed him “Conan the Republican”. He later served as Chairman for the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Pete Wilson.

In an interview with Talk Magazine in late 1999, Schwarzenegger was asked if he thought of running for office, he replied: “I think about it many times. The possibility is there, because I feel it inside. “The Hollywood Reporter claimed shortly after that Arnold sought to end speculation that he might run for governor of California. Following his initial comments, Schwarzenegger said: “I’m in show business…I am in the middle of my career. Why would I go away from that and jump into something else?”

Movies

The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) (II) Collateral Damage (2002), Eraser (1996), True Lies (1994), Jingle All the Way (1996),

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) ,The Terminator (1984), Twins (1988),Commando (1985), Red Heat (1988) ,Total Recall (1990),The 6th Day (2000), Batman & Robin (1997), Raw Deal (1986), Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Alois_Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger – The Austrian Oak


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