Take a boy born into poverty in post-World War II Austria who dreams of becoming a world-class bodybuilder before moving on to becoming the greatest actor in the world. The boy speaks no English and has no connections or friends in high places. What would you say his chances are of succeeding? Looking at it objectively? Zero, zilch, forget it.
But 70-something actor Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't (and doesn't) know how to quit. By his early teens, Schwarzenegger was a workout demon who broke into gyms on weekends when they were closed so he wouldn't miss a day of training. His plan was simple and clear: Become a world-class, award-winning bodybuilder, move to Hollywood, and become a star. So, in 1968 after he won his first Mr. Universe title, he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles.
Once there, he found a cheap place in Los Angeles' Venice and joined the local Gold's Gym. There he met an Italian bodybuilder by the name of Franco Columbu, who just happened to have skills as a bricklayer.
This is the story of how Arnold and Franco became bricklayers to the rich and famous and made a fortune long before the still buff Arnold parlayed his physique into a lucrative Hollywood career.
The American Dream
Okay, so the first thing Arnold does when he hits California in 1968 is to find an affordable place to live in Venice, the beachfront area of Los Angeles. Then the 21-year-old went straight to Venice's Gold's Gym and joined.
So, one day Arnie's pumping iron or some such at Gold's and he runs into Franco Columbu. Franco was a dark Italian bodybuilder. And, as luck would have it, he happened to know something about bricklaying.
At the time Arnold was working menial jobs for not much money. That probably annoyed the heck out of him. Remember, by that time he had won the first of his 4 European Mr. Universe titles. He was bodybuilding royalty who firmly believed he was destined to become a great actor.
Bricklayers To The Rich And Famous
Arnold and Franco were a match made in heaven. Both men were hungry for fame and recognition. But at the time, out of necessity, they were even hungrier for money, cold hard cash. One thing led to another. And Arno and Franco decided to recruit bodybuilders from the gym and start a bricklaying business. It was a dead cert as far as they were concerned. Women would take one look at the beefcake crew and hand over the dough. Even then Arnold was an operator.
Just to be doubly certain, they advertised themselves as a "cut-rate" firm, that would do the work at a fraction of the cost of more established firms. And then Franco and Arnold kicked back in their office chairs puffing on cigars waiting for the phones to ring. Only thing is, nobody called. They couldn't believe it.
To their credit, the two men didn't give up. They hit on an obvious "USP". That's a Unique Selling Proposition in marketing terms. Quite simply put, a USP is an angle you have that your competitors don't. And what was it? It was simple. Schwarzenegger was Austrian and Franco was Italian. They were bonafide Europeans. They looked around Los Angeles and saw "European" coffee houses, interior design, and bakery businesses that were, literally, raking in the money. They finally realized that Americans equate anything European with class, style, and snob-appeal. So, they began advertising themselves as "European style bricklayers".
And they began charging more than their competitors. What? It was a complete disaster, right?
No. It was just the opposite. The phones started ringing off the hook. Arnold and Franco had more work than they could handle. The business was booming.
Arnold is nothing if he isn't savvy. And so he took his bricklaying profits and invested them in Los Angeles properties. He bought 'em, fixed 'em up, and sold them. Like many things in Arnold's world, exactly how much he made was a movable feast. His estimates vary with his moods. But it's safe to say we are talking a million or two. And all of that before he even got started in the film business.
Enter Arnold Strong, Mr. Universe
Arnold's first movie role came in 1970 when he was in a terrible film called Hercules in New York. He was billed "Arnold Strong, Mr. Universe". His strategy was working, but his English was still so bad and heavily accented that the moviemakers decided to dub his entire performance.
By 1972 he got a part in a film called Stay Hungry. Yes, it was based in a gym and was choc-a-bloc with espionage and hunky bodybuilders. A number of forgettable films followed. Then in 1982, Arnie became Conan the Barbarian. And the rest, as they say, is history.
And what about Franco? He played alongside Arnie in Stay Hungry, Conan the Barbarian, and Terminator. As the 1970s marched on, Arnold concentrated more and more on his acting career, while Franco remained an active competitor in contests such as the Mr. Olympia competition. The two bricklayers turned millionaires remained good friends, with Arnold paying a heartfelt tribute to his buddy when he died in 2019.
So, that's how a poor bodybuilder from Austria who spoke very little English made millions from bricklaying, before moving on to become probably the greatest action-hero actor in history.