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Arnold Schwarzenegger© GettyImages

Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals the movie that changed the course of his life

Schwarzenegger discussed the film that provided him with the “blueprint” for the rest of his life.


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
NOVEMBER 24, 2023 9:27 AM EST

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a career out of using his impressive phisique on the big screen. The actor, politician, and bodybuilder rose to fame in documentaries like “Pumping Iron,” which later translated to a succesful Hollywood career. In his docuseries “Arnold,” Schwarzenegger opens up about the film that made him change his life and provided him with the “blueprint” for the person that he would become in adulthood.

Arnold Schwarzenegger© GettyImages
Schwarzenegger bodybuilding

In the first episode of “Arnold,” Schwarzenegger shares his experience of watching the poster of “Hercules And The Captive Women,” a film from the 1960s that starred a bodybuilder named Reg Park. Schwarzenegger says he was in a trance after watching the movie’s poster, and the film itself, planting the seed in his brain that following in Park’s footsteps is what he wanted.

Schwarzenegger shared that he found an American magazine with Park’s workout schedule, which he used when he first started to get into bodybuilding.

Hercules In New York© GettyImages
One of his first films was “Hercules in New York”

Schwarzenegger ended up competing with his idol

Schwarzenegger had an impressive bodybuilding career, winning some of the top awards in the sport, including Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia. He competed against some of the best athletes in the game, including his idol Park and Joe Weider, one of the co-founders of the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB). Schwarzenegger ended up defeating Park, an experience that left him feeling mixed emotions.

After winning the Mr. Olympia title seven times, Schwarzenegger decided to retire from the sport, moving on to bigger and better things.