Arnold Schwarzenegger has had quite a colorful career. He won Mr. Universe in 1967 and held the Mr. Olympia title for six consecutive years (1970-1975) before retiring from bodybuilding. In 1980, he made a surprising return to the competition and earned the Mr. Olympia title again. Schwarzenegger had also begun his acting career between those years. It was always his childhood dream to be in the movies.
Following the release of his 1977 documentary Pumping Iron, he was finally cast as a lead actor in the 1982 commercial success that was Conan the Barbarian.
But it was the 1984 box office hit, Terminator that catapulted his global popularity. Since then, he'd take on more iconic roles that would help him amass his current $400 million net worth. But before Schwarzenegger was able to make such a string of high-grossing movies, he had to accept rejections from big names in Hollywood due to his accent.
Hailing from Austria, the former governor of California had an accent that some casting directors found incomprehensible. A voice actor was even hired to dub his dialog in his first-ever film, Hercules in New York (1970) where he played the lead.
What Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Said About His Accent
The 74-year-old actor revealed in 2015 that he'd actually gotten rid of his accent over the years he's been in show business. However, he said that he kept using his heavy Austrian accent because fans expect it from him. "It's now become such a big part of me, the accent, that people really enjoy it," he told The Daily Mail.
Without it, his many famous catchphrases like "Hasta la vista, baby," "I'll be back," and "Get to the chopper" wouldn't have made the same impact.
But did you know, that even though a voice actor was hired for his role as Hercules, he still practiced his English accent five hours a day prior to filming? "I needed to work on my acting and work on my English accent," he said in an interview. I worked on my accent five hours a day, just like I worked on my body five hours a day." He also added that despite it going "right to the toilet," he still saw the experience as a "good stepping stone."
Before that acting debut, the Austrian Oak had worked hard to establish a $300 million real estate empire so that he could choose which movies to star in.
Schwarzenegger's Accent Got Him Rejected For The Role Of Superman In The 1978 Movie
The Predator star auditioned for the role of Superman in the 1978 movie. He made it through several cuts until Marlon Brando who played Superman's Kryptonian biological father, Jor-El voted against him.
The contract of The Godfather actor gave him the right to make casting decisions for other main roles. His reason was that the public wouldn't be able to understand the action star. Christopher Reeve got the role instead. The director, Richard Donner knew he was right for the role. Reeve wowed the production team during his screen test in 1977.
The Commando star's physique would have made an effortless Superman but Reeve was just as dedicated to achieving that superhero figure. The 6-foot-4 actor went on an intensive workout routine instead of wearing a "muscle suit" initially required by production. His weight went from 188 to 212 pounds.
Despite being paid a lot less than his co-stars, Brando and Gene Hackman, Reeve said "Superman brought me many opportunities, rather than closing a door in my face."
Unfortunately, his acting career was cut short when he was paralyzed from the neck down after falling off a horse in 1995. He still managed to make the best of his life after the accident. He became busy with activism, doing film work, writing, and public speaking. He died of heart failure in 2004.
Other Major Roles Arnold Schwarzenegger Failed To Get
After trying out for the role of Superman, Schwarzenegger auditioned for the role of Hulk in the 1978 TV series, The Incredible Hulk. Originally, Richard Kiel who is most known for playing Jaws in the James Bond films, The Spy Who Love Me and Moonraker, was already set to play the antihero. But on the set of the pilot episode, the producers realized that he didn't look beastly enough.
So they reopened the hunt for the new Hulk. The final choice was between the Terminator star and Lou Ferrigno. Ferrigno landed the role. But this time, Schwarzenegger's accent wasn't the issue. He was simply 3 inches shorter.
Then in the 1987 film RoboCop, he was too big that's why the role of Alex Murphy went to Peter Weller instead. In the end, Schwarzenegger still got the right roles that made him one of the most imitated actors in the world. Not bad.