| Revision as of 00:39, 11 July 2002 view sourceRobert Merkel (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users8,319 edits expand, mention that Total Recall is actually viewed by many as a clever sci-fi flick hiding behind all the blood← Previous edit | Revision as of 00:42, 11 July 2002 view source Robert Merkel (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users8,319 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| Age and a triple-heart-bypass operation have dampened Schwartzenegger's action film career. | Age and a triple-heart-bypass operation have dampened Schwartzenegger's action film career. | ||
| Unusually for a Hollywood actor, he has close links with the ] party, and it is generally believed that Schwarzenegger has considered, and may still be considering, running for political office (a belief jokingly referenced in a ] film, ], where a future America passed a constitutional amendment to allow foriegn-born Americans and thus Schwartzenegger to become President). | |||
| See also: ] | See also: ] | ||
Revision as of 00:42, 11 July 2002
Arnold Schwarzenegger, born in Graz, Austria in 1947, was a bodybuilder (Junior Mr. Europe, Mr. World, Mr. Universe five times and Mr. Olympia seven times) before he became an actor.
His first film appearence was in Hercules in New York (1970). He came to the attention of more people in the documentary Pumping Iron (1977). His breakthrough film was Conan the Barbarian (1982), cemented by Conan the Destroyer (1984). He is perhaps most known for his role in The Terminator (1984) where his deadpan acting style actually helped the film. Schwartzenegger's acting ability (described by one critic as having an emotional range that "stretches from A almost to B") has long been the butt of many jokes - for instance, he retains a strong German accent to his English even in roles where he plays characters who would not normally have such an accent. However, few of the fans of his work care seem to care.
Following his arrival as a Hollywood superstar, he made a number of commercially successful films: Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987) and Red Heat (1988). Twins (1988) a comedy with Danny DeVito was a change of pace. Total Recall (1990) got Schwarzenegger $10m and 15% of the gross, and hid a widely praised, thought-provoking science-fiction script behind his usual violent action. Kindergarten Cop (1990) was another comedy. Terminator 2 (1991) was his high-water mark. After the box-office failure of The Last Action Hero, (1993) Schwartzenegger's career began a long decline, featuring now-hackneyed roles in True Lies (1994), Eraser (1996) and End of Days (1999).
Age and a triple-heart-bypass operation have dampened Schwartzenegger's action film career.
Unusually for a Hollywood actor, he has close links with the Republican party, and it is generally believed that Schwarzenegger has considered, and may still be considering, running for political office (a belief jokingly referenced in a Sylvester Stallone film, Demolition Man, where a future America passed a constitutional amendment to allow foriegn-born Americans and thus Schwartzenegger to become President).
See also: Conan the Barbarian