Biography

From bodybuilder to actor to American politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger has seemingly done it all. The man known as the “Terminator” was born in Austria in 1947 and had a childhood that was far from the glamourous life he would come to know. Schwarzenegger has often said that his father – a one-time Nazi Party member – was abusive, an alcoholic, and favored his older brother. As a way of escaping, Schwarzenegger focused on a career in bodybuilding and on his strong desire to one day move to the United States. Schwarzenegger won an unprecedented five Mr. Universe titles and six Mr. Olympia crowns.  Once he immigrated to the U.S., he starred in the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron, which followed him defending his Mr. Olympia title. Since his youth in Austria, Schwarzenegger had always dreamed of becoming an actor, and now that the well-known athlete had made it to America, he set his sights on Hollywood. Schwarzenegger started off with small parts, even garnering a Golden Globe Award for Best Newcomer for his part in the 1976 film Stay Hungry. His strong, athletic build was ideal for action-filled roles, and he became a leading figure in the genre, with 1980s hits such as Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, and all of their sequels. Schwarzenegger made headlines for his off-screen romance and marriage to Maria Shriver, the niece of President John F. Kennedy.  Political ambitions would overtake his film roles and after a special election in 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the governor of California, even easily winning re-election for a second term.  After leaving public office, Schwarzenegger’s personal life made front-page news with his divorce from Shriver and admissions of adultery. Once Schwarzenegger rejoined the ranks of working actors, he scored another box-office hit with The Expendables, and its 2012 sequel The Expendables 2.