Arnold Schwarzenegger
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| Arnold Schwarzenegger | |
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November 17, 2003 – present |
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| Lieutenant Governor: | Cruz Bustamante (2003- present) John Garamendi (elected) |
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| Predecessor: | Gray Davis |
| Successor: | Incumbent |
| Born: | July 30, 1947 (age 59) Thal bei Graz, Steiermark, Austria |
| Political party: | Republican |
| Profession: | Body Builder, Actor |
| Spouse: | Maria Shriver |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation ( IPA): [aɐnɔlt aloʏs ʃvaɐtsənɛgɐ]) (born on July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. He was elected on October 7, 2003 in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003, to serve the remainder of Davis' term, which lasts until January 8, 2007. On September 16, 2005 he officially announced a re-election campaign to a full term in California's 2006 gubernatorial election — resulting in a re-election to another term on November 7, 2006.
Nicknamed "The Austrian Oak" in his body building days, and more recently "The Governator" (a portmanteau of Governor and Terminator, after the blockbuster film roles), Schwarzenegger as a young man gained widespread attention as a highly successful bodybuilder, and later gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film star. Perhaps his most famous film is The Terminator, with other famous movies including Predator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, True Lies, Kindergarten Cop, Total Recall, Junior, Jingle All The Way, Last Action Hero, and his Hollywood breakthrough film Conan the Barbarian.
Early life
Infancy and History
Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, a town 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), who had been married on October 20, 1945, when he was 38 and she was a 23-year-old widow. Arnold had a good relationship with his mother and kept in touch with her until her death.
Gustav was a strict and demanding father, who generally favored the elder of his two sons, Meinhard. Meinhard died in a car accident in 1971, and Gustav died the following year. In Pumping Iron, Schwarzenegger claimed his reason for not attending his father's funeral was that he was training for a bodybuilding contest, although both he and the film's producer later stated that this story was taken from another bodybuilder, for the purpose of showing the extremes that some would go to for their sport. Also to make himself more cold and machine like person, to help drum up the controversy for the film.
Life as Boy
As a boy, Schwarzenegger played many sports, but discovered his passion for bodybuilding when in his mid-teens, his soccer coach took the team for weight training. He attended a gym in Graz, where he also frequented the local cinemas, viewing his idols such as musclemen Reg Park, Steve Reeves, and Johnny Weissmuller on the big screen. He was so dedicated as a youngster that he was known to break into the local gym so that he could train on weekends when it was usually closed.
Early Adulthood
Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army in 1965, to fulfill the one-year service requirement expected at the time of all 18 year old Austrian males. During this year he sneaked off the base to compete in his first bodybuilding competition, the Mr. Junior Europe, where he won first place. He was punished for sneaking off, but the respect he gained from his superiors was obvious: his drill sergeant once yelled at a group of soldiers, "Why don't you be more like Schwarzenegger!"
Schwarzenegger made his first plane trip in 1966, attending the NABBA Mr. Universe competition being held in London. He arrived in the United Kingdom knowing little English, and it was here he first started being referred to as "The Austrian Oak" (or "The Styrian Oak"), due to his large build and the story of him performing chin ups from the limb of an Oak tree on the banks of the river Thalersee, the lake of his hometown. He would come in second in the competition, but would win the title the next year, becoming the youngest ever Mr. Universe (at age 20).
Going to US
Schwarzenegger moved to the United States in September of 1968, with little money or knowledge of the English language, and trained at Gold's Gym in Santa Monica under the patronage of Joe Weider. It is here where Schwarzenegger became good friends with professional wrestler, "Superstar" Billy Graham.
Bodybuilding career
Early On
Schwarzenegger first gained fame as a bodybuilder. One of the first competitions he won was Junior Mr. Europe in 1965. He would go on to compete in and win many bodybuilding (as well as some powerlifting) contests, including 5 Mr. Universe (4 - NABBA (England), 1 - IFBB (USA)) wins and 7 Mr. Olympia wins, a record which would remain until Lee Haney won his eighth straight Mr. Olympia title in 1991.
In 1967 Schwarzenegger won the Munich stone lifting contest in which a stone weighing 508 German pounds (254kg/560lbs) is lifted between the legs while standing on two foot rests. He broke the existing record, winning the contest.
Mr. Olympia
Schwarzenegger's goal was to become the greatest bodybuilder in the world, which meant becoming Mr. Olympia. His first attempt was in 1969 where he lost to three-time champion Sergio Oliva. However Schwarzenegger came back in 1970 and convincingly won the competition.
Schwarzenegger continued his winning streak in the 1971, 1972, and 1973 competitions. In 1974, Schwarzenegger was once again in top form and won the title for the fifth consecutive time, besting Lou Ferrigno. After the 1974 Olympia, Schwarzenegger announced his retirement from professional bodybuilding.
However, George Butler and Charles Gaines convinced him to compete one more time so they could make the bodybuilding documentary called Pumping Iron. Schwarzenegger had only three months to prepare for the competition after losing significant weight to appear in the film Stay Hungry with Jeff Bridges. Ferrigno proved not to be a threat, and a lighter than usual Schwarzenegger convincingly won the 1975 Olympia. After being declared Mr. Olympia for a sixth consecutive time Schwarzenegger once again retired from competition. Pictures from this event were re-interpreted by prolific realism artist Luke Barabe.
Schwarzenegger came out of retirement once more to compete in the 1980 Mr. Olympia. Schwarzenegger was a late entry and won with only eight weeks of preparation. At the time, this lead to some controversy, some claiming that the Olympia had become a "popularity contest" rather than an objectively judged competition.
Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, and his legacy is commemorated in the Arnold Classic annual bodybuilding competition. Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent face in the bodybuilding sport long after his retirement, in part due to his ownership of gyms and fitness magazines. He has presided over numerous contests and awards shows. For many years he wrote a monthly column for the bodybuilding magazines Muscle & Fitness and Flex. Shortly after being elected Governor, he was appointed executive editor of both magazines in a largely symbolic capacity. The magazines agreed to donate $250,000 a year to the Governor's various physical fitness initiatives. The magazine MuscleMag International has a monthly two page article on him and refers to him as "The King".
Stats
- Nicknames: The Oak, The Austrian Oak, The Olympian, Oak, The King, Champ, Arnie, Schwazzie, Arnold Strong, Ahnuld
- Height: 6'2"
- Arms: 22"
- Chest: 57"
- Waist: 34"
- Thighs: 28.5"
- Calves: 20"
- Off Season Weight: Around 260 lbs.
- Competition Weight: Around 235 lbs.
Steroid use
It has been claimed that Schwarzenegger won his first of seven Mr. Olympia titles in 1970 with the help of Dianabol . He has admitted to using performance-enhancing anabolic steroids while they were legal, writing in 1977 that "steroids were helpful to me in maintaining muscle size while on a strict diet in preparation for a contest. I did not use them for muscle growth, but rather for muscle maintenance when cutting up." However, some bodybuilders who used the same steroid cocktails as Schwarzenegger in the 1970s dispute the notion that they were used merely for "muscle maintenance". Even Schwarzenegger has called the drugs "tissue building."
As recently as 2005, Schwarzenegger has been accused of tacit endorsement of steroid use, because the Arnold Classic competition to which he lends his name does not require testing of contestants. Most if not all contestants in the bodybuilding portion of the Arnold Classic display muscle mass that is not likely to occurr without chemical assistance.
In 1999, Schwarzenegger sued Dr. Willi Heepe, a German doctor who publicly predicted an early death for the bodybuilder based on a link between steroid use and later heart problems. Because the doctor had never examined him personally, Schwarzenegger collected a DM 20,000 ($12,000 USD) libel judgment against him in a German court. In 1999 Schwarzenegger also sued and settled with The Globe, a U.S. tabloid which had made similar predictions about the bodybuilder's future health. As late as 1996, a year before open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve, Schwarzenegger publicly defended his use of anabolic steroids during his bodybuilding career.
Schwarzenegger was born with a bicuspid aortic valve; a normal aorta has three leaflets. According to a spokesperson, Schwarzenegger has not used anabolic steroids since 1990 when they were made illegal.
Acting career
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | |
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| Birth name | Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger |
| Born | July 30, 1947 (age 59) Thal, Austria |
| Height | 6'2' (188 cm) |
| Official site | schwarzenegger.com |
| Notable roles | The Terminator in The Terminator Detective John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop |
Arnold Schwarzenegger had long planned to move from bodybuilding into a career in acting, as had done many of his idols, such as Reg Park. Initially he had trouble breaking into films due to his long surname, "overly" large muscles, and foreign accent, but was eventually chosen to play the role of Hercules (as both Reg Park and Steve Reeves had done) in Hercules in New York (1970).
Credited under the name "Arnold Strong", his accent in the film was so thick that his lines had to be dubbed after production. His second film appearance was as a deaf and mute hitman for the mob in director Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973), which was followed by a much more significant part in the film Stay Hungry (1976), for which he was awarded a Golden Globe for Best New Male Star.
Schwarzenegger came to the attention of more people in the documentary Pumping Iron (1977), elements of which were dramatized. In 1991, Schwarzenegger purchased the rights to this film, its outtakes, and associated still photography.
Arnold also appeared with Kirk Douglas and Ann Margaret in the comedy, The Villain (1979). Schwarzenegger's breakthrough film was Conan the Barbarian (1982), and this was cemented by a sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984). As an actor, he is best-known as the title character of director James Cameron's cyborg thriller The Terminator (1984). Schwarzenegger'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; he retains a strong Austrian accent in his speech at all times.
He also made a mark for injecting his films with a droll, often self-deprecating sense of humor, setting him apart from more serious action heroes such as Sylvester Stallone. (As an aside, his alternative-universe comedy/thriller Last Action Hero featured a poster of the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day which, in that alternate universe, had Sylvester Stallone as its star; a similar in-joke in Twins suggested that the two actors might one day co-star, something which has yet to come to pass).
Following his arrival as a Hollywood superstar, he made a number of successful films: Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), The Running Man (1987), and Red Heat (1988). In Predator (1987), another successful film, Schwarzenegger led a cast which included future Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura (Ventura also appears in Running Man as well as in the film "Batman and Robin" which Schwarzenegger also starred in) and future Kentucky Gubernatorial Candidate Sonny Landham. Twins, (1988) a comedy with Danny DeVito, was a change of pace. Total Recall (1990), at that time the most expensive film ever, netted Schwarzenegger $10 million and 15% of the gross, and was, although violent, a widely praised, thought-provoking science-fiction script (based on the Phillip K Dick short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale) behind his usual violent action. Kindergarten Cop (1990) was another comedy.
Schwarzenegger had a brief foray into directing, first with a 1990 episode of the TV series Tales from the Crypt, entitled The Switch, and then with the 1992 telemovie Christmas in Connecticut. He has not directed since.
Schwarzenegger's critical and commercial high-water mark was Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). His next film project, the self-aware action comedy Last Action Hero, (1993), had the misfortune to be released opposite Jurassic Park, and suffered accordingly. Schwarzenegger's career never again achieved quite the same prominence, his aura of box-office invincibility suffering, although True Lies (1994) was a highly popular sendup of spy films, and saw Schwarzenegger reunited with director James Cameron, whose own career had taken off with The Terminator.
Shortly thereafter came Junior, which brought Schwarzenegger his second Golden Globe nomination, this time for Best Actor - Musical or Comedy. It was followed by the popular, albeit by-the-numbers Eraser (1996), and Batman & Robin (1997), his final film before taking time to recuperate from a back injury. Following the failure of Batman & Robin Schwarzenegger's film career and box office prominence went into decline.
Several film projects were announced with Schwarzenegger attached to star including the remake of Planet of the Apes, a new film version of I Am Legend and a World War II film scripted by Quentin Tarantino that would have seen Schwarzenegger finally play an Austrian.
Instead he returned with End of Days (1999) - an unsuccessful and atypically dark attempt to broaden his acting range - The 6th Day (2000) and Collateral Damage (2002), none of which came close to recapturing his former prominence. In 2003 he reprised his role as the cyborg in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which went on to earn over $150 million domestically, but it still wasn't enough to revive his acting career.
His latest film appearances included a cameo appearance in The Rundown with The Rock and the 2004 remake of Around the World in 80 Days, notable for featuring him onscreen with action star Jackie Chan for the first time. His latest appearance was a cameo as "The Governator", a Hummer H1, in the 2006 Pixar film Cars.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has stated in many interviews he never regrets doing a role and he feels really bad when he turns down a role. There are however conflicting reports that Schwarzenegger will be starring in the next Terminator installment - Terminator 4 .
Political career
Schwarzenegger is a registered Republican. His first political appointment was to 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.
Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy in the 2003 California recall election for Governor of California on the August 6, 2003 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. As a candidate in the recall election, Schwarzenegger had the most name recognition in a crowded field of candidates, but he had never held public office and his political views were unknown to most Californians. His candidacy was immediate national and international news, with media outlets dubbing him the "Governator" (referring to The Terminator movies, see above) and "The Running Man" (the name of another of his movies), and calling the recall election "Total Recall" (ditto) and "Terminator 4: Rise of the Candidate" (referring to his movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines).
On October 7, 2003, the recall election resulted in Governor Gray Davis being removed from office with 55.4% of the Yes vote in favour of a recall. Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California under the second question on the ballot with 48.6% of the vote to choose a successor to Davis. Schwarzenegger defeated Democrat Cruz Bustamante, fellow Republican Tom McClintock, and others. In total, Schwarzenegger won the election by about 1.3 million votes. Under the regulations of the California Constitution, no runoff election was required.
Schwarzenegger's initial days in office were heady, infused with a number of faux pas statements that many attribute to his sense of overconfidence stemming from his entertainment industry clout. When asked whether he would seek bipartisan cooperation from the democrats in the State Senate, Schwarzenegger quipped that he saw no reason to "talk with losers". Building on a catch phrase from a Saturday Night Live sketch partly parodying his bodybuilding career, Schwarzenegger called the Democratic State politicians " girlie men," a reference from a Saturday Night Live skit called " Hans and Franz", in which Schwarzenegger guest-starred once.
Schwarzenegger later began to feel the backlash when powerful state unions began to oppose his various initiatives. Key among his reckoning with hubris was a special election he called in November 2005, in which four ballot measures he sponsored were defeated.
Schwarzenegger then bucked the advice of fellow Republican strategists and appointed a Democrat, Susan Kennedy, a lesbian, as his Chief of Staff. Schwarzenegger scrambled toward the political middle, determined to build a winning legacy with only a short time to go until the next gubernatorial election.
Schwarzenegger ran for re-election against Democrat Phil Angelides, the California State Treasurer, in the 2006 elections, held on November 7, 2006. Despite a poor year nationally for the Republican party, Schwarzenegger won re-election with 56.0% of the vote compared with 38.9% for Phil Angelides, a margin of well over one million votes. The election cemented his credentials as a bona fide politician.
Other aspects of Schwarzenegger's life
Personal life
In 1977, Schwarzenegger's autobiography Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder was published. Also in 1977, Arnold Schwarzenegger declared, "Milk is for babies, when you grow up you drink beer" in Pumping Iron, the documentary about bodybuilders that launched the Austrian’s superstar career. He earned a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where he graduated with degrees in international marketing of fitness and business administration in 1979.
Schwarzenegger became a U.S. citizen in 1983, although he also retains his Austrian citizenship.
In 1986, Schwarzenegger married TV journalist Maria Shriver, niece of the past President of the United States John F. Kennedy. The couple have four children: daughters Katherine (born December 13, 1989) and Christina (b. July 23, 1991), and sons Patrick (b. September 18, 1993) and Christopher (b. September 27, 1997).
Business career
By the age of 30, Schwarzenegger was a millionaire, well before his career in Hollywood. His financial independence came from a series of successful business ventures and investments:
In 1968, Schwarzenegger and fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu started a bricklaying business. The business flourished both because of the pair's marketing savvy and increased demand following a major Los Angeles earthquake in 1971.
Schwarzenegger and Columbu used profits from their bricklaying venture to start a mail order business, selling bodybuilding and fitness-related equipment and instructional tapes.
Schwarzenegger rolled profits from the mail order business and his bodybuilding competition winnings into his first real estate venture: an apartment building he purchased for $10,000. He would go on to invest in a number of real estate holding companies.
Planet Hollywood
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a founding "celebrity investor" in the Planet Hollywood chain of international theme restaurants (modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe) along with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Demi Moore. Schwarzenegger severed his financial ties with the business in 2000.
Net worth
Schwarzenegger's net worth has been under-estimated by conservatively using the usual $100,000,000-$200,000,000 (USD) estimate.
However, over the years, he invested his bodybuilding and movie earnings in an array of stocks, bonds, privately controlled companies and real estate holdings in the US and worldwide, so his fortune is actually estimated at $800,000,000 (USD).
Allegations of sexual and personal misconduct
During his initial campaign for Governor, allegations of sexual and personal misconduct were raised against Schwarzenegger (see Gropegate). Within the last five days before the election, news reports appeared in the Los Angeles Times recounting allegations of sexual misconduct from several individual women, sixteen of whom eventually came forward with their personal stories.
Chronologically, they ranged from Elaine Stockton, who claimed that Schwarzenegger groped her breast at a Gold's Gym in 1975 (she was 19 at the time), to a 51 year old woman who said that he pinned her to his chest and spanked her shortly after she met him in connection with production of his film, The Sixth Day, in 2000.
Schwarzenegger admitted that he has "behaved badly sometimes" and apologized, but also stated that "a lot of (what) you see in the stories is not true". This came after an interview in adult magazine Oui from 1977 surfaced, in which Schwarzenegger discussed attending sexual orgies and indulging in drugs like marijuana. Schwarzenegger is shown smoking a marijuana cigarette after winning Mr. Olympia in the 1977 documentary film Pumping Iron.
British television personality Anna Ryder Richardson settled a libel lawsuit in August 2006 against Schwarzenegger and two of his top aides, Sean Walsh and publicist Sheryl Main. Richardson alleges that the California governor had groped her breast during a 2000 interview in London, England, to promote The Sixth Day, in which he had starred as an actor. Although, during his 2003 election campaign, Schwarzenegger had promised to respond to the allegations of sexual harassment by Richardson and several other women, he failed to do so after being elected. The groping followed Richardson's remark to Schwarzenegger that her breasts were "real", rather than the results of surgical breast augmentation. Main recalls the incident somewhat differently, claiming that she cupped one of her breasts and asked the actor-become-governor what he thought about them. According to information that Schwarzenegger has publicized, he has spent $600,000 in his legal defenses of himself and his aides against libel. .
Allegations of Nazi admiration and support of Kurt Waldheim
Allegations printed on the front page of The Los Angeles Times, based on selective quotation, which Schwarzenegger claimed not to recall, were also made that he at one time admired Adolf Hitler and had praised him as a great propagandist. However, the full text of the statement from which the quotation was taken significantly reduces the credibility of the allegations. Although Schwarzenegger's parents were members of the Nazi party (his father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, was also a member of the Sturmabteilung or SA), Schwarzenegger has been a strong supporter of various Jewish groups, and has denounced the principles of the fascist German regime, saying "I have always despised everything that Hitler stands for and what my history of my country stood for".
A March 1992 Spy Magazine article mentions a story confirmed by "a businessman and longtime friend of Schwarzenegger's" -- that in the '70s Arnold "enjoyed playing and giving away records of Hitler's speeches".
Schwarzenegger supported the campaign of his friend, Kurt Waldheim, former UN chief and a former Austrian politician who was accused of war crimes during World War II in Yugoslavia, which resulted in both Waldheim, and his wife, Elisabeth, both of whom belonged to the Nazi Party, being excluded from entering the United States. Schwarzenegger's name remained on Waldheim's campaign posters, even after allegations of Waldheim's war crimes were brought to light. Waldheim was also invited to Arnold's wedding with Maria Shriver, but wisely declined. According to Wendy Leigh, author of "Arnold: An Unauthorized Biography", Schwarzenegger was said to have made a toast to his friend which that he would later regret, and which shocked many who were present: "My friends don't want me to mention Kurt's name because of all the recent Nazi stuff ... but I love him, and Maria does, too, and so thank you, Kurt."
These allegations were brought up mainly in the context of his campaign, but they continue to be occasionally used by some critics. Garry Trudeau, the cartoonist behind the comic strip Doonesbury, combined the allegations by nicknaming Schwarzenegger "Herr Gröpenführer" (after the early paramilitary Nazi rank Gruppenführer) and depicting Schwarzenegger as a huge, groping hand in his artwork (Trudeau has a tradition of depicting prominent real-world politicians using symbolism, such as showing President George H.W. Bush as nothing, Vice President Dan Quayle as a feather, and President Bill Clinton as a "waffle(r)".
Foreshadowing his political life?
The 1993 Sylvester Stallone film Demolition Man jokingly referenced Schwarzenegger as President of the United States. In the film, a future America passed a constitutional amendment to allow naturalized Americans like Schwarzenegger to become President of the United States, and that film referenced a "Schwarzenegger Presidential Library".
In addition, the official strategy guide for the 2000 video game Perfect Dark includes a comic which points to Schwarzenegger as being a U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate in the year 2025.
Trivia
- On January 8, 2006, while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, with his son in the sidecar, another driver backed into the street he was riding on causing him and his son to collide with the car at a low speed. While his son and the other driver were unharmed, the governor sustained a minor injury to his lip, forcing him to get 15 sutures. "No citations were issued" said officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman. Schwarzenegger, who famously rode motorcycles in the Terminator movies, has never actually obtained an M-1 or M-2 endorsement on his California driver's license that would allow him to legally ride one on the street. Sunday morning, December 9, 2001, he broke six ribs and was hospitalised for four days after another motorcycle crash in L.A.
- In honour of its most famous son, Schwarzenegger's home town of Graz had named its soccer stadium after him. The Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, now officially titled UPC-Arena, is the home of both Grazer AK and Sturm Graz. Following the Stanley Tookie Williams execution and after street protests in his home town, several local politicians began a campaign to remove Schwarzenegger's name from the stadium. Schwarzenegger responded, saying that "to spare the responsible politicians of the city of Graz further concern, I withdraw from them as of this day the right to use my name in association with the Liebenauer Stadium", and set a tight deadline of just a couple of days to remove his name. Graz officials removed Schwarzenegger's name from the stadium in December 2005.
- In tribute to Schwarzenegger in 2002, Forum Stadtpark, a local cultural association, proposed plans to build a 25-metre (82 foot) tall Terminator statue in a park in central Graz. Schwarzenegger reportedly said he was flattered, but thought the money would be better spent on social projects and the Special Olympics.
- In 2005 Peter Pilz from the Austrian Green Party in parliament demanded to revoke Schwarzenegger's Austrian citizenship. This demand was based on article 33 of the Austrian citizenship act that states: A citizen, who is in the public service of a foreign country, shall be deprived of his citizenship, if he heavily damages the reputation or the interests of the Austrian Republic.
- Pilz claimed that Schwarzenegger's actions in support of the death penalty (prohibited in Austria under Protocol 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights) had indeed done heavy damage to Austria's reputation. Schwarzenegger justified his actions by referring to the fact that his only duty as Governor of California was to prevent an error in the judicial system. "Schwarzenegger has a lot of muscles, but apparently not much heart," said Julien Dray, spokesman for the Socialist Party in France, where the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
- Because Schwarzenegger opted in 1997 for a replacement heart valve made of his own transplanted tissue, medical experts predict he will require repeated heart valve replacement surgery in the next two to eight years (as his current valve degrades). Schwarzenegger apparently opted against a mechanical valve, the only permanent solution available at the time of his surgery, because it would have sharply limited his physical activity and capacity to exercise.
- He bought the first Hummer manufactured for civilian use in 1992, a model so large, 6,300 lb (2900 kg) and 7 feet (2.1 m) wide that it is classified as a large truck and U.S. fuel economy regulations do not apply to it. During the Gubernatorial Recall campaign he announced that he would convert one of his Hummers to burn hydrogen. The conversion was reported to have cost about $21,000 (USD). After the election, he signed an executive order to jumpstart the building of hydrogen refueling plants called the "California Hydrogen Highway Network", and gained a DOE grant to help pay for its projected $91,000,000 (USD) cost. California took delivery of the first H2H (Hydrogen Hummer) in October 2004.
- His fellow bodybuilder and actor, Sven-Ole Thorsen, has collaborated with him in 15 movies so far.
- He has appeared alongside his fellow actor from Around the World in 80 Days, Jackie Chan, in a government advert to combat piracy.
- In the spring of 2002, Chapman University awarded Schwarzenegger an honorary doctoral degree. The degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, is conferred upon individuals who have distinguished themselves through their accomplishments in or contributions to academia, community service, business and industry, or performance in the arts.
- Schwarzenegger's official height has usually been reported as 6'2", though some observers debit him two inches. While campaigning for George W. Bush in Ohio in 2004, he appeared only about an inch taller than the 5'11" Bush. Schwarzenegger's weight while competing was in the 245 pound range; he now carries about 210 pounds. His height has been debated to such a high degree on internet message boards, that there is a now a website dedicated to it. Schwarzenegger himself maintains that this is his true height, remarking that most people do have to look "up" at him.
- The name "Schwarzenegger" in German means, approximately, "Black Ploughman" or "Ploughman of the Black Earth" ("Schwarz" = "black", "Egge" = "plow" or "harrow").
- Even though Schwarzenegger speaks German as his mother-tongue, all of his movies are dubbed by the German Thomas Danneberg for the German speaking markets in Central Europe - partly because Schwarzenegger's German shows a strong Austrian accent that doesn't fit with the type of most of his roles.
- In 1985, Schwarzenegger appeared in Stop the Madness,an anti-drug music video sponsored by the Reagan administration.
- Mahathir on Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as governor of California, despite allegations about his past: "I think he had every right to contest. People do not grow up to think that, 'Ah, I'm going to be the next governor and therefore I must deny myself all the pleasures of life'." October 2003
- Appeared on WWF (WWE)'s Smackdown! in 1999 where was bestowed a replica of the "Attitude" era belt. He was involved in a segment handing a chair to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and eventually beating up Triple H.
- JibJab made a parody about Schwarzenegger's campaign to run for governor, "Ahnuld for Governor", during which he adresses himself as "Ahnuld" and talks of his plans to terminate Gray Davis, and trim the fat from the budgets "the same way I do from my rock hard body, every day".