Arnold Schwarzenegger's Accent Threatened To Kill His Career - So He Fought Back
Over the course of the last five decades, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become one of the biggest stars in the world. From his early days in movies like "Stay Hungry" and "Conan the Barbarian" to his iconic roles in action tentpoles like "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "True Lies," you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone of any age who doesn't know the famous Austrian actor.
Still, while his best-known attribute on top of his well-muscled physique is likely his thick Austrian accent, the actor says that this notable feature was once seen as a major hurdle for him to overcome. Schwarzenegger explained as much on an episode of "The Graham Norton Show," where he talked about the lengthy process he underwent to try and overcome his accent.
"I had an English coach and an acting coach and a speech coach and an accent removal coach ..." the actor said. "I should have ... gotten my money back. The bottom line is I worked on it." However, as time went on, the accent that he thought would derail his career became an asset. He explained, "When I did 'Terminator,' Jim Cameron said, 'What made "Terminator" work and why it became successful was because Schwarzenegger talks like a machine.'"
Arnold's well-known accent became a defining aspect of his career
Arnold Schwarzenegger also went on to point out how little bearing the stuff he heard from insiders actually had on the growth of his career. "The funny thing is all of the stuff that they said — the Hollywood producers and the directors and all the geniuses — they were saying that this is an obstacle for me to become a leading man, [but it] became an asset," the actor reflected.
Furthermore, Schwarzenegger's unique physicality would also open doors for him to find a footing in the entertainment industry. "When I did 'Conan the Barbarian,' John Milius, the director, said to the press, 'If we [hadn't] had Schwarzenegger, we would have had to build one,'" the actor recalled. He went on to note that this was because he was the only one who could embody the role the way artist Frank Frazetta drew the character and the way author Robert E. Howard described the character in the many books he wrote.
Either way, it looks like history tells the tale from there. The actor has since become such a force of nature all over the world that he's easily one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet. As for his accent, it remains arguably the thing that he is best known for, even after so many years of struggling with it.