Actor, governor, politician, body builder and businessman - Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man who wears many hats. He was born on 30th July 1947 in Thal, Styria, Austria and his full name is Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger. He is also known by a number of nicknames – Austrian Oak, Arnie, Conan the Republican, Styrian Oak, The Governator, The Running man and Conan the Governor.  Arnold started out as a weight lifter in his home country Austria in the Styria region. He was very keen on physical fitness and was completely dedicated to his goal. It was this single mindedness that earned See more...

Actor, governor, politician, body builder and businessman - Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man who wears many hats. He was born on 30th July 1947 in Thal, Styria, Austria and his full name is Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger. He is also known by a number of nicknames – Austrian Oak, Arnie, Conan the Republican, Styrian Oak, The Governator, The Running man and Conan the Governor.  Arnold started out as a weight lifter in his home country Austria in the Styria region. He was very keen on physical fitness and was completely dedicated to his goal. It was this single mindedness that earned him the Mr. Universe title five times and Mr. Olympia champion; seven times. As if this was not enough he went on to become a famous American film star and then the governor of one of the best states in the USA.

Initial days

Arnold was born and grew up in a small Austrian village and used body building as a means to a better life. He also served in the Austrian army in 1965. Having conquered the world of body building he put his sights on America to make a mark in the Hollywood film industry. Trouble was his strong Austrian accent and typically European looks. It wasn’t instant success for him but took him time till his movie Conan came out and he was both noticed and appreciated as a performer and a looker. It wasn’t long before he was getting top action films one after another and minting money at the box office.

Career Accomplishments

Arnold’s story is a typical American immigrant’s success story. Just imagine a body builder from a European country with tolerable English becoming America’s heart throb and marrying into the illustrious Kennedy family; amassing a fortune and then going on to become the governor of its loveliest State, California.

Arnold came to America in 1968 at the age of twenty one. Till the seventies body building was not really a popular or even well-known sport. As a matter of fact it was almost misunderstood. But, Arnold was showcased by Weider brothers (Ben & Joe) as a poster boy for body building and he made himself a sports icon. Arnold first starred in a Hollywood movie in 1969. It was a low budget movie by the name ‘Hercules in New York’. This was followed by a number of movies and a TV movie. It was only in 1982 that the role created by Robert E Howard in ‘Conan the Barbarian’ made him a hit all over the globe. This is the movie that set off a successful career in movies for Arnold and he went on to become America’s Super Hero.

Fun Facts

Arnold was called "the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world" by Guinness book of World Records. In his first movie ‘Hercules in New York’ his voice was dubbed because of his thick accent. He has his own production company by the name of ‘Oak Productions’. He became a US citizen in 1983. Before coming to America he had gone to England and worked for under £30 a week. He has undergone a genioplasty to move his jaw back so it does not jut out.

Brand and Cause Affiliations

Arnold is a strong supporter of social causes. He was known for not accepting his governor’s salary of $ 175,000 per year and donating it to various charities. As a governor of California he signed a bill in September 2006 which created America’s first cap on greenhouse emissions. He is also the spokesperson for the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China. He is the founder of Inner City Games Foundation (ICG) which offers educational, cultural and community enriching programs for the youth. The organization is active in fifteen cities in the country and serves more than 250,000 children.

Friends, Family and Hobbies

Arnold fell in love with Barbara Outland, who was an English teacher and the two lived together till 1974. He then had an open relationship with Sue Moray who was a hair dresser’s assistant and it lasted till 1978 when she came to know of his relationship with Maria Shriver. Arnold married Maria Shriver, a television journalist, in 1986. Maria was the niece of former President John F Kennedy and the two remained married till 2011 and then separated after a marriage or 25 years. It soon came out that Arnold had a love child with the couple’s house hold employee, Mildred Patricia.

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