When you think of the movie Terminator, you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 75-year-old has made his mark in Hollywood with this movie franchise. The role of a cyborg sent from the future is a role that suits the former bodybuilding champion. Despite his limited acting experience, the Terminator franchise proved to be a solid foundation to etch Schawarzenegger’s name into Hollywood history. 

But do you know, there were chances of him being replaced in this iconic role? There were chances of a former 5X Pro Bowler actually taking the role of the Terminator in the franchise. So who was this ex-NFL player and why didn’t he land the role?

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have not been the Terminator

Could you imagine anyone else playing the role of the Terminator apart from Arnold Schwarzenegger? It is pretty difficult now considering the memories we share of the 75-year-old as the cyborg. But what if ex-NFL star OJ Simpson was cast in place of Schwarzenegger?

According to an extract from the 75-year-old’s Netflix series ‘Arnold’, that might just have been the case. In the clip, we see the director of the Terminator series James Cameron talk about the dilemma between Schwarzenegger and OJ Simpson and how both the names, “sounded just so wrong” for casting. Further into the clip, we see the 75-year-old talk about the reason why no one was inclined to the idea of OJ Simpson playing the role. The reason? Well, according to Schwarzenegger, “he could not be sold as a killing machine.” This sent the crew into a chuckle. Maybe because of the infamous Simpson trial?

Read more: “He’s Not Going to Be Happy This Morning”: OJ Simpson Responds to Fan Who Wants to “Make QBs White Again”

While Simpson may not have been able to bag the role in the franchise, there have been numerous TV shows and films inspired by his controversial life.

Movies and shows inspired by Simpson’s life

The OJ Simpson trial back in the 1990s was the most televised trial in American history. Almost 95 million viewers saw his attempted ‘escape’ on television, a low-speed car chase that lasted for more than an hour. These events led to the creation of many movies and TV series about his life. One of the most memorable movies of would be ‘Lost Highway’ by David Lynch in 1995, which also became one of his most well-known projects to date. The immense coverage of the trial also inspired directors such as Ben Stiller. He released ‘The Cable Guy’ in 1996, which draws inspiration from the intensive coverage of one of the most infamous trials in the country’s history. 

But imagine the ex-NFL star taking the place of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the franchise. Do you think he would have been able to pull it off? Let us know in the comments below.

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