Arnold

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Lore & Background

Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Styria, the second son of Gustav Schwarzenegger and his wife Aurelia. Gustav was the local chief of police who joined the Nazi Party after the Anschluss in 1938 and served as a military policeman during World War II, including at the siege of Leningrad. Schwarzenegger has said his father had "no patience for listening or understanding your problems" and that he suffered what "would now be called child abuse" at his father's hands. He was raised in a Catholic household. At school he was academically average but stood out for his "cheerful, good-humored, and exuberant" personality. He struggled with reading and was later diagnosed with dyslexia. He began weight training in 1960 when his football coach took the team to a local gym, and at age 14 chose bodybuilding over football as a career. He served in the Austrian Army in 1965, went AWOL during basic training to compete in a bodybuilding contest, and spent a week in military prison. He won the Junior Mr. Europe contest during his service. His brother Meinhard died in a car crash on May 20, 1971, and his father Gustav died of a stroke on December 13, 1972.

In Their Own Story

After retiring from bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame in the 1980s as a Hollywood action star. His breakthrough came with his starring role in *Conan the Barbarian* (1982), followed by a sequel, *Conan the Destroyer* (1984). He subsequently starred as the Terminator in *The Terminator* (1984) and reprised the role in four sequels. His other appearances include *Commando* (1985), *The Running Man* (1987), *Predator* (1987), *Total Recall* (1990), *True Lies* (1994), and the comedies *Twins* (1988), *Kindergarten Cop* (1990), and *Jingle All the Way* (1996). At the height of his career, he was known for his rivalry with Sylvester Stallone. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $5.4 billion worldwide. He is the founder of the film production company Oak Productions. As a registered Republican, he chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during most of the George H. W. Bush administration. In 2003, he was elected governor of California in a special recall election to replace Gray Davis, receiving 48.6 percent of the vote. He was sworn in on November 17 and was reelected in 2006 with 55.9 percent of the vote. In 2011, he reached his term limit and returned to acting. As of 2025, he and insurance commissioner Steve Poizner are the last Republicans to win or hold statewide office in California.

Reader's Guide

Schwarzenegger's early life was shaped by strict parenting and a drive to escape poverty. He has said, 'I want to be rich. I want to be somebody.' He met former Mr. Austria Kurt Marnul in 1961, who invited him to train at a gym in Graz. He was so dedicated that he broke into the local gym on weekends to train when it was closed. His first plane trip was in 1966 to attend the NABBA Mr. Universe competition in London, where he placed second. He has said, 'The Mr. Universe title was my ticket to America—the land of opportunity, where I could become a star and get rich.' In Graz, he was mentored by Alfred Gerstl, who had Jewish ancestry and later became president of the Federal Council. Schwarzenegger paid for his nephew Patrick's education and helped him move to the U.S. In *Pumping Iron*, he claimed he did not attend his father's funeral because he was training for a bodybuilding contest, but later said the story was taken from another bodybuilder to create a colder image for the film. He has given at least three different explanations for why he did not attend his father's funeral.

Did You Know?

• Schwarzenegger began weight training in 1960 when his football coach took the team to a local gym.
• He went AWOL during basic training in the Austrian Army to compete in a bodybuilding contest and spent a week in military prison.
• He was voted 'best-built man of Europe' after placing second in a bodybuilding contest at the Steirerhof Hotel in Graz.
• His first plane trip was in 1966 to attend the NABBA Mr. Universe competition in London, where he placed second.
• He paid for his nephew Patrick's education and helped him move to the U.S. after his brother Meinhard died in a car crash.