Spending over five decades in the public eye, Arnold Schwarzenegger has worked on many projects and ventures. From his bodybuilding days to his superhit acting career, Schwarzenegger has made his mark and gained a diverse collection of friends and acquaintances.

Naturally, he has a treasure trove of amusing tales to share about pop culture icons. For instance, the hilarious dinner incident with André the Giant and Wilt Chamberlain in Mexico City.

Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to treat his friends to dinner

One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic silver screen roles came from the ‘Conan the Barbarian’ franchise. While filming for the second issue of the series, ‘Conan the Destroyer’, the bodybuilding legend made friends with athletes that dwarfed even his 6-foot-2-inch stature.

The 7’4” pro-wrestler, André the Giant, and 7’1” NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain became fast friends with the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion. They shot the movie in New Mexico, and the trio often went for dinner after shooting. And one of their common topics of debate was who could make Schwarzenegger look tiny.

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“They were both always joking about who could pick me up [the easiest] and make me look like a little fly,” the former governor of California shared. The project being his first million-dollar paycheck, Schwarzenegger was eager to treat his buddies to dinner. But a big obstacle stood in front of him.

“André was the most generous. Wilt Chamberlain was cheap, right? He was always penny-pinching—but André always wanted to pay for the dinner,” he narrated. “So this one day, I said, ‘I’ll be right back…’ and I snuck out to give the waiter my credit card. I said, ‘Don’t let André or anyone pay. No matter how much he complains. I’m going to pay…’”

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André the Giant wasn’t happy with Schwarzenegger’s sneaky strategy

But once André the Giant has decided something, going against him isn’t an option. And Arnold Schwarzenegger paid for hindering his plans. He continued, “I came back to the table and sat down and in the end, the waiter came and gave me the bill to sign. All of a sudden, [André’s booming voice] ‘NOOO… YOU MAKE ME VERRY ANGRY ARNOLD…’”

While his co-actors clashed, Wilt Chamberlain chipped in on the outburst as André scooped up the bodybuilder like a child. “He picked me up—and then, of course, Wilt joined in, ‘Oh yeah, I wanted to pay…’, I said, ‘Oh, dat’s a good one…’” Schwarzenegger joked.

Typically, the scene is not something you’d see at a restaurant. The public gawked as the events unfolded. “They both carry me out of the restaurant—people are freaking out—and they sat me on the roof of my car out front. It was a very funny scene,” the ‘Terminator’ star concluded.

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