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“Maybe My Dad Isn’t Really My Dad”: 51 Years After Skipping Father’s Funeral, Arnold Schwarzenegger Makes a Startling Confession

Published 06/08/2023, 3:16 AM EDT

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The docuseries “Arnold” debuted on Netflix on June 7th. The three-part docuseries reveals the journey of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger as a bodybuilding legend, actor, and American governor. The 75-year-old candidly reflected on his life journey from the farmlands of Austria to the California Governor’s mansion.

The first part of the series is about him traveling to America to realize his bodybuilding dream. The Austrian Oak revealed what he used to think as a child and what drove him to chase the American dream in an hour-long episode.

Arnold Schwarzenegger doubts his paternal origin

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The Terminator actor felt he didn’t belong to the Austrian family while growing up. As he grew older, the Governator read more about the outside world, which made him feel, “I don’t think that I was brought up in the right place.” He further adds accepting his aversion to the place by revealing, “There is something off here, in the Netflix series.

via Getty

His thoughts of America were so deep that he started questioning his paternal origin at one point. “And I know this sounds crazy, but for a while, I thought, ‘Maybe my dad isn’t really my dad,’” Arnie opened up in the documentary. He added,” Maybe it’s some American soldier.” These thoughts made the young kid dig deeper to understand his fondness for America. So, he decided to be in the US one day. “I gotta get out of here,” the Commando actor said.

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Arnie’s manifestation came true when he first saw Reg Park in the Hercules movie and on the cover of American Training magazine. Park inspired the young Schwarzenegger so much that he became an idol to the latter. Hence, starting the bodybuilding journey of the Austrian Oak. The distaste of Arnie for his father is not unknown to his fans. The FUBAR actor has always been vocal about his relationship with his father.

The Austrian Oak missed his father’s funeral

The 7x Mr.Olympia despised his father for his connection with the Nazi regime and his bad treatment towards him as a child. The bodybuilding great skipped his father’s funeral when Gustav Schwarzenegger died in 1972.

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At his mother’s request to attend his father’s funeral, Schwarzenegger said, “No, it’s too late. “He’s dead and nothing can be done.” However, Arnie doesn’t harbor any hatred towards him. The Pumping Iron actor claims that it was his father, who instilled the fire in him to become successful.

The docuseries would reveal the unseen side of the legend to not just bodybuilding fans but to admirers who celebrate him as an action hero. It would help them to understand his legacy better.

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Watch This Story: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s late friend and training partner disclosed the unknown truth about bodybuilding in a resurfaced video

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Written by:

Etha Bindu Rani

906Articles

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Etha Bindu Rani is an American sportswriter at EssentiallySports. Being a fitness enthusiast, she considers Ronnie Coleman and Chris Bumstead as her inspirations. Apart from that, Etha is passionate about writing.
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Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa