Guide Note

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor and politician.

Fast Facts

1. Born: July 30, 1947
2. Where: Thai, Austria
3. Wife: Maria Shriver
4. Children: 4
5. Won six consecutive Mr. Olympia competitions
6. Starred in movies such as Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator and Twins
7. Current governor of California

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and grew up in Austria, near the town of Graz. According to his own accounts, Schwarzenegger had a difficult relationship with his father. He has been quoted as saying that his father's treatment of him "would now be called child abuse".

Arnold Schwarzenegger began lifting weights when he was in his early teens. He was extremely dedicated, allegedly breaking in to the gym on weekends so he could train. While serving his mandatory year of Army service in 1965, he went AWOL in order to compete for the Junior Mr. Europe title. He won, and spent a week in Army jail. He came in second for Mr. Universe in 1966, but won in 1967, becoming the youngest holder of the title at that time. A year later, he moved to the United States.

Schwarzenegger's film debut was in 1970 in the film Hercules in New York. His accent was so thick that film producers chose to overdub his lines. He starred in several more movies over the next few years, and finally broke through in 1982 with Conan the Barbarian. He increased his action-star reputation with films like Terminator, and branched out into comedy with the hit movie Twins, costarring Danny De Vito. He continued to have hits through the 1990s and into the first decade of the 21st century.

Always a staunch Republican Party supporter, Schwarzenegger put his celebrity to a new use in 2003. Former California governor Gray Davis had been recalled, and both parties sought a candidate to replace him. Schwarzenegger threw his hat into the ring. The combination of his celebrity and voters' disenchantment with the Democratic Party led to his election. He was re-elected n 2006 with 56% of the vote.