Conan the Barbarian (1982) director John Milius once spoke about how Arnold Schwarzenegger, the legendary bodybuilder, worked toward revolutionizing the sport. The Austrian Oak was one of the first insiders of the sport who was vocal and found newer avenues to bring the sport that was restricted to the gym space to the fore.

In an interview from 2011, John Milius spoke at length about Schwarzenegger’s love for bodybuilding and why he never talked about it during movie promotions. The two got to know each other very well while shooting for Conan the Barbarian in 1982. Here’s delving into it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to California and changed bodybuilding forever

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Milius said that bodybuilding “was confined to the back of comic books”. He recalls how people viewed it as a flagrant attempt at vanity, and nothing else. He further added, “Until Arnold, people thought bodybuilders were perverts or vain circus freaks. Arnold changed that. He turned himself into a household word and made it a virtue to work out”. John Milius attests that despite a thriving Hollywood career, Schwarzenegger always went back to his first “crusade,” i.e., bodybuilding.

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Schwarzenegger started taking an interest in bodybuilding at a very young age in Graz, Austria. Having gone through a personal tragedy when he lost his brother to a car accident, his troubles were further spurred by financial woes. His household realities were such that they couldn’t afford basic amenities such as a telephone, flush toilet, or refrigerator. He said, “With that kind of upbringing, you learn to not take anything for granted.”

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The need to be able to take care of one’s family sowed the seed to make a thriving bodybuilding career. Doing what he does best earned him the attention of Mr. Olympia founder Joe Weider who encouraged him to move to California. Eventually, he did and subsequently won multiple medals in the sport.

Schwarzenegger’s discipline percolated to all avenues including Hollywood

Schwarzenegger made his foray into Hollywood eventually and turned the 80s into a decade of successful movies. In fact, it earned him a collossal total of more than $1 billion. With his physique, he would often get similar roles of a hunky, macho, muscular man in movies like Commando, Conan the Barbarian, and Predator. But slowly, things changed for him.

What hasn’t changed for Schwarzenegger to date is the discipline and dedication with which he operates in life. Arnold once admitted that he still works out daily since bodybuilding is a part of his life. More than that, it is his identity. At 75 years old, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a living marvel who still continues to inspire people all around the world.

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