Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has appeared in over 40 films, and has also ventured into directing and producing. He began his acting career primarily with small roles in film and television starting in 1969. For his first film role, he was credited as "Arnold Strong", but was credited with his birth name thereafter. He has appeared mainly in action and comedy films. [1] In addition to films and television, he has appeared in music videos for AC/DC, Bon Jovi, and Guns N' Roses.
In the 1980s, Schwarzenegger became his primary character in two film franchises: as Conan in the Conan series and as The Terminator in the Terminator series. His other film roles include Commando , The Running Man , Predator , Total Recall , Last Action Hero and True Lies . Although Schwarzenegger's acting career was put on hiatus due to his position as Governor of California, he also made several cameos in various films while in office, including The Kid & I and The Expendables . [2] On February 11, 2011, just over a month after leaving office, Schwarzenegger announced he would return to acting. [3]
Schwarzenegger has received several awards and nominations for his work in films. In Stay Hungry , one of his early roles, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture. He has also been nominated for various awards for his roles in Terminator 2: Judgment Day , Junior , and True Lies . According to Box Office Mojo, a box office revenue tracking website, films in which Schwarzenegger has acted have grossed a total of more than $1.7 billion within the United States, with an average of $67 million per film and total $4.0 billion worldwide. [4] According to The Numbers, another box office revenue tracking website, films in which Schwarzenegger has acted have total grossed around $4.5 billion worldwide. [5]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Hercules in New York | Hercules | Credited as Arnold Strong "Mr. Universe" | |
1973 | The Long Goodbye | Hood in Augustine's Office | Uncredited cameo | [6] |
1976 | Stay Hungry | Joe Santo | ||
1979 | The Villain | "Handsome Stranger" | ||
1979 | Scavenger Hunt | Lars | Cameo | |
1982 | Conan the Barbarian | Conan the Barbarian | ||
1984 | Conan the Destroyer | Conan the Destroyer | ||
1984 | The Terminator | Terminator | ||
1985 | Red Sonja | Lord Kalidor | ||
1985 | Commando | Colonel John Matrix | ||
1986 | Raw Deal | Sheriff Mark Kaminsky / Joseph P. Brenner | ||
1987 | Predator | Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer | 3D remastered in 2013 | |
1987 | The Running Man | Captain Benjamin Stuart "Ben" Richards | ||
1988 | Red Heat | Captain Ivan Danko | ||
1988 | Twins | Julius Benedict | ||
1990 | Total Recall | Douglas "Doug" Quaid / Agent Carl Hauser | Dual role | |
1990 | Kindergarten Cop | Detective John Kimble | ||
1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | The Terminator | 3D remastered in 2017 | |
1993 | Dave | Himself | Cameo | |
1993 | Last Action Hero | Detective Jack Slater / Himself / Hamlet | Dual role; also executive producer | |
1993 | Beretta's Island | Himself | Direct-to-video; cameo | |
1994 | True Lies | Agent Harry Tasker / Harry Rehnquist | ||
1994 | Junior | Dr. Alexander "Alex" Hesse | ||
1996 | T2-3D: Battle Across Time | The Terminator | Theme park attraction | |
1996 | Eraser | U.S. Marshal John "Eraser" Kruger | ||
1996 | Jingle All the Way | Howard Langston / Turbo-Man | ||
1997 | Batman & Robin | Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze | ||
1999 | End of Days | Detective Jericho Cane | ||
2000 | The 6th Day | Adam Gibson / Adam Gibson Clone | Dual role; also producer | |
2002 | Collateral Damage | Captain Gordon "Gordy" Brewer | ||
2003 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Terminator | ||
2003 | The Rundown | Bar Patron | Uncredited cameo | [7] |
2004 | Around the World in 80 Days | Prince Hapi | Cameo | |
2005 | The Kid & I | Himself | Limited release; cameo | |
2010 | The Expendables | Trent "Trench" Mauser | Uncredited cameo | [8] |
2012 | The Expendables 2 | Trent "Trench" Mauser | ||
2013 | The Last Stand | Sheriff Ray Owens | ||
2013 | Escape Plan | Emil Rottmayer / Victor X. Mannheim | ||
2014 | Sabotage | Agent John "Breacher" Wharton | ||
2014 | The Expendables 3 | Trent "Trench" Mauser | ||
2015 | Maggie | Wade Vogel | Limited release; also producer | |
2015 | Terminator Genisys | Terminator / Guardian | 3D remastered in 2015 | |
2017 | Aftermath | Roman Melnyk | Limited release; also producer | |
2017 | Wonders of the Sea 3D | Himself - Narrator | Documentary film; also producer | |
2017 | Killing Gunther | Robert "Gunther" Bendik | Limited release; also executive producer | |
2018 | The Game Changers | Himself | Documentary film; also executive producer | |
2019 | Viy 2: Journey to China | Captain James Hook | Also executive producer | |
2019 | Terminator: Dark Fate | T-800 / Carl | ||
TBA | Kung Fury 2 | "The President" | Post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1974 | Happy Anniversary and Goodbye | Rico | Television film; cameo | |
1977 | The Streets of San Francisco | Josef Schmidt | Episode: "Dead Lift" | |
1977 | The San Pedro Beach Bums | Muscleman | Episode: "Lifting Is My Life"; cameo | |
1980 | The Jayne Mansfield Story | Mickey Hargitay | Television film | |
1990 | Tales from the Crypt | X-Con / Himself | Episode: "The Switch"; uncredited cameo; also director | [9] |
1992 | Christmas in Connecticut | Man in Chair in Front of Media Truck | Television film; uncredited cameo; also director | [10] |
1992 | Lincoln | John George Nicolay | Television film; voice role | |
2002–2003 | Liberty's Kids | Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben | 2 episodes; voice role | |
2014–2016 | Years of Living Dangerously | Himself | 2 episodes; documentary series; also executive producer for 17 episodes | |
2015 | Two and a Half Men | Lieutenant Wagner | Episode: "Of Course He's Dead: Part 1 & 2" | |
2015 | Epic Rap Battles of History | Terminator Announcer | Episode: "Terminator vs. RoboCop"; uncredited cameo | |
2015 | Terminator Genisys: The YouTube Chronicles | Terminator | Episode: "Part 3"; cameo | |
2017 | The New Celebrity Apprentice | Himself - Host | 8 episodes; also executive producer for 1 episode | |
2019 | Chad Goes Deep | Himself | 2 episodes | |
2021–2023 | Superhero Kindergarten | Arnold Armstrong / Captain Fantastic | 26 episodes; voice role; also executive producer for 1 episode | |
2022 | Little Demon | Game Show Host | Episode: "Everybody's Dying for the Weekend"; voice role | |
2023 | FUBAR | Luke Brunner | 8 episodes; also executive producer |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Nissin Cup Noodle: Arnold Schwarzenegger 'Noodle Man' | Himself | ||
1991 | Nissin Cup Noodle: Arnold Schwarzenegger | Himself | ||
2014 | Bud Light: Ian Up for Whatever | Arnold | ||
2015 | WWE 2K16 - Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator Commercial | The Terminator | ||
2022 | BMW: Zeus & Hera | Thunder Zeus | ||
2023 | Parkside | Himself | [11] | |
2024 | Agent State Farm | Himself | ||
Year | Title | Role | Performer | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | "Don't Call It Love" | Bodybuilder | Girlschool | Cameo | [12] |
1985 | "Stop the Madness" | Himself | Tim Reid | Cameo | |
1991 | "You Could Be Mine" | T-800 | Guns N' Roses | [12] | |
1993 | "Big Gun" | Himself | AC/DC | [12] | |
2000 | "Say It Isn't So" | Himself | Bon Jovi | Uncredited cameo | [13] |
2019 | "Pump It Up (The Motivation Song)" | Himself | Andreas Gabalier Feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger |
Year | Title | Song | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Killing Gunther | "Earthquake Love" | ||
2017 | Kain's Quest | "Main Title (Terminator 2 Theme)" | Episode: "The Terminator"; uncredited |
Year | Title | Voice role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | The Terminator | |
2003 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | The Terminator | |
2003 | Terminator 3: War of the Machines | The Terminator | |
2003 | Terminator 3: The Redemption | The Terminator | |
2014 | Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff | Himself | |
2020 | Predator: Hunting Grounds | Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer | [14] |
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, filmmaker, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder known for his roles in high-profile action movies. He served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011 and was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2007.
The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd and produced by Hurd. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son will one day save mankind from extinction by Skynet, a hostile artificial intelligence in a post-apocalyptic future. Kyle Reese is a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. The screenplay is credited to Cameron and Hurd, while co-writer William Wisher Jr. received an "additional dialogue" credit.
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven, with a screenplay by Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, and Gary Goldman. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, and Michael Ironside. Based on the 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick, Total Recall tells the story of Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger), a construction worker who receives an implanted memory of a fantastical adventure on Mars. He subsequently finds his adventure occurring in reality as agents of a shadow organization try to prevent him from recovering memories of his past as a Martian secret agent aiming to stop the tyrannical regime of Martian dictator Vilos Cohaagen (Cox).
True Lies is a 1994 American action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron, based on the 1991 French comedy film La Totale!. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a U.S. government agent, who struggles to balance his double life as a spy with his familial duties. Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Art Malik, and Tia Carrere star in supporting roles. True Lies was the first Lightstorm Entertainment project to be distributed under Cameron's multimillion-dollar production deal with 20th Century Fox, as well as the first major production for the visual effects company Digital Domain, which was co-founded by Cameron. It was also the first film to cost $100 million.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a 2003 science fiction action film that is the third installment in the Terminator franchise and a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). It is directed by Jonathan Mostow and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, and Kristanna Loken. In its plot, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a T-X (Loken)—a highly advanced Terminator—back in time to ensure the rise of machines by killing top members of the future human resistance as John Connor's (Stahl) location is unknown. The resistance sends back a reprogrammed T-850 (Schwarzenegger) to protect John and Kate (Danes).
Last Action Hero is a 1993 American fantasy action comedy film directed and produced by John McTiernan and co-written by Shane Black and David Arnott. It is a satire of the action genre and associated clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack Slater, a Los Angeles police detective within the Jack Slater action film franchise, while Austin O'Brien co-stars as Danny Madigan, a boy magically transported into the Slater universe, and Charles Dance as Mr. Benedict, a ruthless assassin from the Slater universe who escapes to the real world. Schwarzenegger also served as the film's executive producer and plays himself as the actor portraying Jack Slater. The film also marked Art Carney and Tina Turner's last feature film before their deaths in 2003 and 2023, respectively.
Jason Statham is an English actor and martial artist. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, gritty, or violent. Statham has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2010s. His film career through 2017 generated over $1.5 billion in ticket sales, making him one of the film industry's most bankable stars.
Conan the Destroyer is a 1984 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Stanley Mann and a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard, it is the sequel to Conan the Barbarian (1982). The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mako reprising their roles as Conan and Akiro, the Wizard of the Mounds, respectively. The cast also includes Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Tracey Walter, and Olivia d'Abo.
Conan the Barbarian is a 1982 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by John Milius and written by Milius and Oliver Stone. Based on Robert E. Howard's Conan, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Earl Jones, and tells the story of a barbarian warrior named Conan (Schwarzenegger) who seeks vengeance for the death of his parents at the hands of Thulsa Doom (Jones), the leader of a snake cult.
The Expendables is a 2010 American action film directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote it with David Callaham and also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars an ensemble cast of mostly action film actors consisting of Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis. The film was released in the United States on August 13, 2010. It is the first installment in The Expendables film series. This was Dolph Lundgren's first theatrically released film since 1995's cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic.
James Cameron is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer who has had an extensive career in film and television. Cameron's debut was the 1978 science fiction short Xenogenesis, which he directed, wrote and produced. In his early career, he did various technical jobs such as special visual effects producer, set dresser assistant, matte artist, and photographer. His feature directorial debut was the 1982 release Piranha II: The Spawning. The next film he directed was the science fiction action thriller The Terminator (1984) which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular cyborg assassin, and was Cameron's breakthrough feature. In 1986, he directed and wrote the science fiction action sequel Aliens starring Sigourney Weaver. He followed this by directing another science fiction film The Abyss (1989). In 1991, Cameron directed the sequel to The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and also executive produced the action crime film Point Break. Three years later he directed a third Schwarzenegger-starring action film True Lies (1994).
Conan the Barbarian is a 2011 American sword and sorcery film based on the character of the same name created by Robert E. Howard. The film is a new interpretation of the Conan myth and is not related to the films featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It stars Jason Momoa in the title role, alongside Rachel Nichols, Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, and Bob Sapp, with Marcus Nispel directing. Morgan Freeman narrates the film.
The Expendables 2 is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel to The Expendables (2010), and is the second installment in The Expendables film series. The film stars an ensemble cast of largely action film actors consisting of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the film, The Expendables undertakes a mission which evolves into a quest for revenge against rival mercenary Jean Vilain, who murders one of their own men and threatens the world with a deadly weapon.
The Last Stand is a 2013 American action thriller film directed by Kim Jee-woon. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, alongside Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzmán, Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford and Genesis Rodriguez. This was Arnold Schwarzenegger's first lead acting role since Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003. In the film, a tough small town sheriff and his deputies must stop a dangerous drug lord from escaping to Mexico in a modified sports car.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the script with William Wisher. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong, it is the sequel to The Terminator (1984) and is the second installment in the Terminator franchise. In the film, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a Terminator—a highly advanced killing machine—back in time to 1995 to kill the future leader of the human resistance John Connor, when he is a child. The resistance sends back a less advanced, reprogrammed Terminator to protect Connor and ensure the future of humanity.
Escape Plan is a 2013 American prison action thriller film starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and co-starring Jim Caviezel, 50 Cent, Vinnie Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio and Amy Ryan. It was directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström, and written by Miles Chapman and Jason Keller. The first film to pair up Stallone and Schwarzenegger as co-leads, it follows Stallone's character Ray Breslin, a lawyer turned prison security tester who is incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, and recruits fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer, portrayed by Schwarzenegger, to stage a breakout. The film is the first installment of the Escape Plan film series.
The Expendables 3 is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone. It is the third installment in The Expendables franchise and the sequel to The Expendables (2010) and The Expendables 2 (2012). The film features an ensemble cast of largely action film stars including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Randy Couture, Jet Li, Ronda Rousey, Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson.
Terminator: Dark Fate is a 2019 American science fiction action film. It is the sixth installment in the Terminator franchise and a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), ignoring the events depicted in Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), and Terminator Genisys (2015). The film stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising their characters Sarah Connor and the T-800 Terminator, respectively, and introduces Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Gabriel Luna and Diego Boneta as new characters. Dark Fate is directed by Tim Miller and written by David S. Goyer, Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray, based on a story by James Cameron, Charles H. Eglee, Josh Friedman, Goyer, and Rhodes.
The rivalry between American actor Sylvester Stallone and Austrian-American actor Arnold Schwarzenegger went on for about twenty years, often involving incidents of one-upsmanship and subterfuge from both parties.
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