The name Arnold Schwarzenegger is not new to the world. From a successful bodybuilding career to a dominating acting life to ruling a state for eight years, he did it all. Arnold’s expertise in everything he did calls for attention; it proves that nothing is impossible if one works hard enough. The muscle man’s goals and targets were clear, which helped him put in the right amount of effort. Furthermore, his ambitious self also made him one of the biggest Hollywood stars of his time.

Out of all his superhit movies, The Terminator series tops the list. Nonetheless, he wasn’t director Cameron’s first choice. So how did he manage to get the role?

Arnold Schwarzenegger was not the first choice for The Terminator

Big name Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t stopped hitting headlines even after retirement. His willingness to take up every challenge and face it without fear is inspirational. Moreover, his long list of achievements and titles won is endless. 

Arnold’s most popular role was The Terminator, a robot with living tissue over a metal endoskeleton. The movie series has six sequels in total, out of which the bodybuilder took part in five. Nevertheless, it wasn’t how things were planned initially. 

The world would have recognized Arnold as the resistance fighter Kyle Reese and not the T-800. The title role was supposed to be played by football legend O. J. Simpson. But somehow, Arnold’s passionate view about the Terminator changed Cameron’s decision. It convinced him that none other than the muscle builder could connect to the role better. 

“He’s a machine. So, everything has to be matter-of-fact,” the bodybuilding champ said. “I told Jim that. I said there should be no joy, no gratification, no kind of victory lap of any sort. Just the mission, complete.”

He added, “I go through these points. Jim, afterward, says to me, ‘F***, you analyze it better than the way I have written it. Why don’t you play the Terminator?’”

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However, given the low count of dialogues on his plate, Arnold wasn’t willing to accept the offer. Despite that, director James Cameron somehow convinced him and brought him on board. 

What magic did Cameron do here? 

Apart from a limited number of dialogues, there was another significant reason why the actor was reluctant to take the role. Initially, T-800 was a killer robot who was the villain of the first film. Back then, Arnold was starting his acting career, so playing a negative role won’t help him level up.

“I told [Cameron] that being cast as an evil villain wasn’t going to help my career,” mentioned the actor. “It was something I could do later on, but right now I should keep playing heroes.”

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But losing the bodybuilder would have been a loss for Cameron. Therefore, he was ready to present T-800 as the hero in the sequel film. Following this, there was no way Arnold could turn him down, and he agreed to be The Terminator.