Q: When you were starting your movie career, how did you convince directors to take a chance and cast you? —Miles B., via Facebook
A: I decided early in my bodybuilding career that the muscle I was gaining would allow me to play heroic characters like Hercules, just as my idol Reg Park had done. Unfortunately, Hollywood didn’t understand my plan as clearly as I did, and it took a lot more effort to break out. I spent many hours working on my English, learning to enunciate on camera. I remember reciting, “The fine wine grows on the vine” as a homework assignment. Of course, I needed to take acting lessons and network in Hollywood, too.
The point is, a muscular body wasn’t enough. In fact, it was an obstacle. Casting directors wanted me to play bouncers or military grunts—not leading roles. I had to show that I could speak, act, and be funny and charming just like other actors. I knew that muscles would get me noticed in Hollywood, but to be the box-office attraction I envisioned, I had to have the total package.
Conan the Barbarian was my first hit action film, but I think The Terminator showed the world that I was here to stay. It was the first role I played where I got to keep my clothes on (except for my first scene, where I arrive in 1984 naked!). For once my body was just an accessory—part of my character, but not defining it. When I did speak, I used my Austrian accent to my advantage: My mechanical voice further reinforced the idea that the Terminator was a machine.
Whether your ambition is to use your body to launch a movie career, as I did, or simply to give you an edge in life, just remember that it won’t get you there alone. Show people that you don’t just work out—you have many wide-ranging interests and abilities that allow you to play a variety of roles—or handle diverse responsibilities.
Building muscle also strengthens character and sharpens the mind, so use those to your advantage as well. That’s the route to success.
