Schwarzenegger - the Terminator is [Back]

buchacher Ausstellung

"Terminator, Gouvernator, Präsinator ...?"

1977 - at the beginning

Arnold’s next role:The Governator? MSN

background comment

Biography

Hasta la vista Hollywood Sydney Morning Herald, August 8, 2003

In political mode . . . Schwarzenegger discusses plans for his campaign with reporters. Photo: Reuters/Fred Prouser

His latest movie Terminator 3 is sagging at the box office like pre-plastic surgery jowls, and Hollywood does not have much use for a fading, 56-year-old action hero. So Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken what in these parts is the obvious course: politics. He will join the race for the governorship of California.

The manner of his announcement was bizarre and appropriate, before a national television audience on the popular Tonight Show of comedian Jay Leno.

Schwarzenegger, who emigrated from Austria in 1968 and learnt American English by studying the speeches of presidential candidates, offered the following justification for a decision he had previously backed away from: "The people are working hard. The people are paying the taxes, the people are raising the families, but the politicians are not doing their job. The politicians are fiddling, fumbling and failing."

And then the reminder, as if one was needed, of just who this candidate is: "Do your job for the people, and do it well; otherwise you are hasta la vista baby."

Apart from his ability to stick to a script, Schwarzenegger's qualifications for one of the most demanding jobs in American public life are scant. He has supported moderate Republican causes, has chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and, through his 17-year marriage to the television reporter Maria Shriver, is an in-law of the Kennedy clan.

That there may be a Governor Arnie - "the Governator" in the words of a San Francisco Chronicle headline - is the result of an economic catastrophe. California has run up a $70 billion budget deficit, and there is widespread dislike of the incumbent, Gray Davis.

Under Californian law, aggrieved individuals can force an issue to the bi-annual November ballot for state and congressional elections if they can collect enough signatures.

Earlier this year, Darrell Issa, a Republican congressman and multimillionaire, organised an army of petitioners to collect signatures for a recall of Mr Davis. The petition gathered almost twice the 860,000 signatures required to force a special ballot, with Mr Issa paying the petitioners a dollar for each signature they collected.

Mr Davis's immediate political future will be decided by a two-question ballot on October 7. The first question asks whether he should be recalled. The second offers a list of candidates. Mr Davis and his supporters have filed several lawsuits with the state Supreme Court in an attempt to delay the recall vote.

DOCUMENTARY: Arnold Schwarzenegger Channel 4, 7 Aug 2003

(Made in Britain) A portrait of the action-man movie star, detailing his rise from an Austrian village to Hollywood via Forest Gate, East London, where he first won his Mr Universe title. Featuring contributions from the couple who housed him for three years and helped him perfect his physique, and exploring the sordid tabloid revelations that undermined his political ambitions. (Text: Digiguide)

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Channel 4 Portrait of Arnold Schwarzenegger

In Reagans Fußstapfen: Der Terminator will in Kalifornien aufräumen  07.08.2003  an-online

Washington (dpa) - Für den ehemaligen Schauspieler Ronald Reagan war Kalifornien das Sprungbrett ins Weiße Haus. Nun will mit Arnold Schwarzenegger ein zweiter Hollywoodstar Gouverneur des bevölkerungsreichsten Bundesstaat der USA werden - und hätte dafür keinen besseren Zeitpunkt wählen können: Kalifornien steckt in seiner tiefsten Krise, und der erst vor knapp einem Jahr gewählte demokratische Gouverneur Gray Davis steht mit dem Rücken zur Wand und muss gegen seine Absetzung im Oktober kämpfen.

Dennoch hat kaum jemand die Entscheidung des Terminator-Stars erwartet. Fast alle waren davon ausgegangen, dass der 56-Jährige am Mittwoch seinen Verzicht bekannt geben würden. Doch ganz im Stil eines Hollywood-Stars wählte «Arnie» dann die spätabendliche Comedy- Sendung des Startalkers Jay Leno für seine Überraschung.

Unter dem Jubel des Publikums erklärte der gebürtige Österreicher in seinem starken Akzent, Kalifornien befinde sich in einer desaströsen Lage, die Politiker versagten und kein Politiker versage mehr als Gouverneur Gray Davis. Deshalb müsse Davis abgesetzt werden, «und deshalb werde ich für das Amt des Gouverneurs kandidieren», erklärte der Republikaner.

Mit seiner überraschenden Ankündigung sorgt der Terminator-Star nicht nur in Kalifornien sondern auch im Washingtoner Sommerloch für Wirbel. Die Demokraten, die wegen der ungewöhnlichen Absetzungskampagne gegen Davis ohnehin in Aufregung sind, wurden am Mittwoch noch nervöser. Der Geschäftsführer der Demokratischen Partei, Terry McAuliffe, sagte am Mittwoch nur wenige Minuten vor dem geplanten Beginn eine Pressekonferenz ab.

Für die Demokraten steht viel auf dem Spiel. Sie befürchten, dass ein republikanischer Gouverneur bei der nächsten Präsidentenwahl dem Amtsinhaber George W. Bush Kalifornien auf dem Präsentierteller darbieten könnte. Das wäre für Bush, der in dem Riesenstaat bei der letzten Wahl gegen Al Gore unterlegen war, ein entscheidender Schritt auf dem Weg zum Wiedereinzug ins Weiße Haus.

Und noch wissen die Demokraten nicht, wie sie der praktisch nur von einem Davis-Gegner finanzierte Abwahlkampagne begegnen sollen. Bisher haben sie keine Alternative zu Davis aufgestellt und vertrauen darauf, dass der bereits häufig totgesagte Politiker noch einmal überlebt. Doch bei Zustimmungsraten von nur noch 20 Prozent dürfte es auch Davis schwer fallen, in den kommenden zwei Monaten das Vertrauen der Wähler zurückzugewinnen.

Davis, der bereits unter einer massiven Energiekrise politisch zu leiden hatte, die von dem Pleite gegangenen betrügerischen Energieriesen Enron mitverursacht worden war, muss nun mit einem Rekorddefizit von 38 Milliarden Dollar regieren. Dass Bushs Steuerkürzungen zu der Krise beigetragen haben, will in Kalifornien kaum jemand noch hören. Die Bewohner des Goldenen Staates wollen nur einfach wieder der Boomstaat der USA werden.

Und hier sieht der schillernde Action-Star Schwarzenegger seine Chance im Kampf gegen den grau wirkenden Davis. Er versprach, Kalifornien wieder den alten Glanz zurückzugeben. Doch Beobachter erwarten, dass der politisch kaum erfahrene Schwarzenegger im Wahlkampf auch etwas von seinem Glanz verlieren dürfte. Sie gehen davon aus, dass unter anderem das Privatleben des mit Maria Shriver - einer Nichte des ermordeten Präsidenten John F. Kennedy - verheirateten Stars durchleuchtet wird.

Hintergrund: Vom Showgeschäft in die Politik  07.08.2003 13:43 an-online

Hamburg (dpa) - Vor 37 Jahren wurde der Schauspieler Ronald Reagan zum Gouverneur von Kalifornien gewählt. Jetzt kandidiert sein Berufskollege Arnold Schwarzenegger für dieses Amt. Wie Reagan gelang auch anderen Prominenten aus dem Showgeschäft der Einstieg in die Politik. Beispiele:

RONALD REAGAN gilt als ein Pionier solcher Wechsel. Der Held vieler Kinofilme der B-Garnitur und Fernseh-Show-Master kandidierte 1966 trotz geringer Chancen für das Amt des Gouverneurs von Kalifornien - und gewann. 1980 verdrängte der «Große Kommunikator» Jimmy Carter aus dem Weißen Haus.

Der frühere Catcher JESSE («The Body») VENTURA gewann 1998 als Kandidat der Reform Party die Gouverneurswahlen im US-Staat Minnesota und schockte damit das politische Establishment. Ventura, der auch im Film «Predator» von Schwarzenegger mitwirkte, trat 2002 nicht wieder an. Ambitionen für die Präsidentschaft hatte er nicht: «Das Leben ist zu kurz».

JOHN DAVIS LODGE begann seine Karriere in den 30er Jahren als Schauspieler und wurde 1951 republikanischer Gouverneur von Connecticut. Als der gelernte Jurist und Bruder des bekannten Senators Henry Cabot Lodge 1954 seine Wiederwahl verpasste, trat er in den diplomatischen Dienst. 1980 half er seinem Hollywood-Kollegen Ronald Reagan im Wahlkampf.

Von der Bühne in das amerikanische Repräsentantenhaus wechselte 1994 der Schauspieler und Popsänger SONNY BONO («I Got You Babe»). Erste politische Erfahrungen hatte Bono bereits als Bürgermeister von Palm Springs (Kalifornien) gemacht. Nachdem er 1998 bei einem Ski-Unfall tödlich verunglückt war, übernahm seine Witwe Mary das Abgeordnetenmandat.

Am 30. Juli 1947 wurde der Polizistensohn in Graz geboren, wo er unter ärmlichen Verhältnissen aufwuchs. Ein Jahr nach seiner Krönung zum «Mister Universum» wanderte er 1968 in die USA aus, wo er zunächst weiter seine Muskeln spielen ließ. Nach unzähligen Siegen zog er sich Mitte der 70er Jahre aus den Bodybuilding-Wettbewerben zurück und holte sich in Hollywood seine erste Filmtrophäe - den Golden Globe, den er als bester Neu-Schauspieler für seinen Auftritt in dem Streifen «Stay Hungry» (1976) erhielt.

Als «Conan, der Barbar» wurde er 1982 weltweit bekannt. Mit dem «Terminator» katapultierte er drei Jahre später in Hollywoods Topriege. Doch der Muskelmann, seit 1983 amerikanischer Staatsbürger, wollte nicht nur als Killermaschine auftreten. In den Komödien «Twins» und «Kindergarten Cop» brachte er das Publikum auch zum Lachen.

Von einer schwierigen Herzoperation zur Korrektur eines angeborenen Klappenfehlers im Frühjahr 1997 erholte sich Schwarzenegger schnell und stand bald wieder als Action-Star vor der Kamera. Mit dem Thriller «Collateral Damage - Zeit der Vergeltung» (2001) war er aber weder bei den Kritikern noch an den Kinokassen erfolgreich. Das änderte sich schlagartig mit «Terminator 3», der am Startwochenende in den USA vor wenigen Wochen mehr als 44 Millionen Dollar einspielte, mehr als jeder andere Schwarzenegger-Streifen bei seiner Premiere.

Sein politisches Talent testete der Schauspieler im vergangenen Herbst als treibende Kraft hinter einer Gesetzesinitiative für die Betreuung von Schulkindern nach Unterrichtsende. Der vierfache Vater tourte durch Kalifornien und steckte eine Million Dollar aus eigener Tasche in die Kampagne. Die Wähler dankten es ihm und stimmten für das Gesetz.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Biography (source: www.filmbug.com)

There was no way of knowing it at the time, but a baby boy born in Graz, Austria, was pre-destined for greatness. His father strongly encouraged him to become involved in athletics in order to develop a strong sense of determinationa trait that evolved into nothing short of a dogged pursuit of excellence in every aspect of his life. He participated in the sport of soccer and competed in track and field events before discovering his true passion for weight lifting at the age of 15. Three years later, he trained as a professional bodybuilder and by the age of 20, he became none other than Mr. Universe. That baby boy grew up to be Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Schwarzenegger would of course go on to become one of the most successful entertainers in box office history, but before the Austrian bodybuilder immersed himself in his lifelong ambition to act, he moved to the United States and received a business degree from the University of Wisconsin. His humanitarian contributions subsequently garnered him an honorary doctorate from the same university. While attending the University of Wisconsin, he continued to compete in bodybuilding, packing an unprecedented thirteen world titles under his belt, including Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia and Mr. World. With an international fan base, charisma, growing popularity and natural talent in front of media and cameras, his goal of launching a motion picture career was the next logical and inevitable transition.

In 1970, he landed a small role in the aptly titled Hercules in New York. Another minor break followed when director Bob Rafelson cast him in a key role opposite Sally Field and Jeff Bridges in Stay Hungry. His performance not only earned him winning reviews, but even a Golden Globe Award for Best Newcomer that year. But it would be the critically acclaimed 1977 film Pumping Iron that really captured his engaging, natural presence in front of the camera. The feature-length documentary about the Mr. Olympia competitions would ironically allow him to put his own Mr. Universe moniker aside and pursue acting full-time.

A romantic action-comedy western called The Villain was released next, pairing Schwarzenegger with Kirk Douglas and Ann-Margret. That same year, Arnold agreed to play the part of Mickey Hargitay opposite Loni Anderson in The Jayne Mansfield Story. But it wasn't until 1982 that the former bodybuilder really made his mark on the Hollywood scene in director John Milius' interpretation of Conan the Barbarian, in which Arnold portrayed the overblown comic-book hero of the mystical Dark Ages. The film grossed over $100 million worldwide, spawning a popular sequel called Conan the Destroyer and securing Schwarzenegger a devoted following around the globe.

Soon after becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1983, Schwarzenegger took a chance on a low-budget independent film by an unknown director named James Cameron. A futuristic thriller that featured Arnold as one of the most terrifying villains in movie history, The Terminator was a runaway box-office hit. Cited by Time magazine as one of the year's Ten Best Films, the success of The Terminator immediately thrust its star into the forefront of Hollywood's elite. Over the next few years, his name would become virtually synonymous with the term action hero due to a phenomenal string of crowd-pleasing and money-making adventure films including: Commando, Raw Deal, Predator, The Running Man, Red Heat and Total Recall.

Schwarzenegger was determined to realize yet another one of his goals by tapping his previously unknown talents as a comedic actor. The result was the 1988 movie Twins in which Arnold starred alongside Danny DeVito with Ivan Reitman directing. The film's triumphant success paved the way for a reunion of sorts when the two actors, directed again by Reitman, starred together in 1995's Junior. True to form, Schwarzenegger received a Best Actor in a Comedy Golden Globe nomination for his performance.

Despite Arnold's success and accomplishments in comedy, it was definitely action that became his signature statement on the big screen. And nothing could have prepared Arnold fans for the hugely successful sequel to his breakthrough role as a killer cyborg from the future in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The big-budget follow-up to the sleeper hit seven years earlier brought in more that $500 million worldwide, his greatest commercial success to date and one of the biggest grossing films of the decade.

To this day, Schwarzenegger continues to be the driving force behind many of the industry's biggest blockbusters, including True Lies, Eraser, Batman and Robin, Kindergarten Cop and End of Days. He even became active behind the scenes of movie-making, directing an episode from the popular HBO series Tales from the Crypt called The Switch and a Turner Network Television (TNT) remake of the holiday classic Christmas in Connecticut starring Dyan Cannon, Kris Kristofferson and Tony Curtis. In late 2000, Schwarzenegger released the science fiction action picture The 6th Day, and in 2002, the much anticipated action thriller titled Collateral Damage hit theaters. Schwarzenegger also has plans to shoot the highly anticipated True Lies 2 with Jim Cameron in 2003 and has a Conan sequel as well as the remake of the classic Westworld slated to follow.

But for all the hype surrounding his career in bodybuilding and in Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger's most gratifying accomplishments are much more steeped in reality. He has made countless contributions of his time and energy, not to mention his personal finances, to philanthropic organizations around the world. He was named the International Weight Training Coach of the Special Olympics in 1979, and serves as a Global Ambassador to the organization founded by his mother-in-law, Eunice Shriver, in 1967. He was appointed Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under the Bush Administration from 1990 to 1993, and also served as the Chairman for the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Pete Wilson.

In 1991, Schwarzenegger began a term as Executive Commissioner of the Hollenbeck Youth Center Inner-City Games in Los Angeles. He believed strongly that educating kids, giving them opportunities, encouraging them to set and reach goals, helping them to become winners and offering a sense of pride and accomplishment was the only way to break the cycle of poverty, despair and untimely death for kids in our inner-cities. Four years later, in collaboration with Hollenbeck's Director Danny Hernandez, Schwarzenegger established the National Inner-City Games Foundation and serves as its National Chairman. Schwarzenegger wanted to create alternatives for kids to violence, drugs and gangs during the critical hours after school, on weekends and during the summer. What started as a summer athletic competition became so successful that ICG now provides year-round opportunities for under-privileged children to participate in educational, cultural and community enrichment programs as well as computer and sports activities. ICG offers competitions and clinics around the country, building confidence and self esteem as well as encouraging the youth of America to say no to gangs, drugs and violence while saying yes to hope, learning and life. From humble origins in Los Angeles, the foundation now stretches to fifteen cities around the nation reaching over 250,000 kids in over 400 schools. Schwarzenegger does not merely lend his name to the Foundation but acts as a child advocate he rolls up his sleeves and flexes his muscles traveling the country meeting with local officials, educators, administrators and kids to ensure the program's continued growth and success.

The latest project of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Inner-City Games Foundation is Arnold's All-Stars an organization dedicated to providing specially designed after-school programs offering academic, recreational and cultural enrichment programs for every middle school in the state of California to help young people improve in school and in life. In addition, Schwarzenegger put his muscles where his mouth is and created an after-school initiative the After School Education and Safety Act of 2002 (Proposition 49), which was recently passed in the California election. As the initiative's sponsor, author and Chairman, Schwarzenegger designed the program to make state grants available to every public middle school in California to create quality after-school programs for its kids.

Arnold's efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed over the years. Just some of the many acknowledgments he has received include the National Association of Theater Owners inventing a new award to present to him at the ShoWest convention in February of 1993: International Star of the Decade. In both 1991 and 1997, he was lauded with the Simon Wiesenthal Center's National Leadership Award for his support of the organization's Holocaust studies. He was also the recipient of the ShoWest Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1997 and in 1998 received the Moving Picture Ball's American Cinematheque Award. In 2000, he was recognized by Boys and Girls Town with the Father Flanagan Service to Youth Award for his efforts with ICG and Special Olympics and received the AFMA's top honor as World Wide Box Office Champ.

He has most recently been honored in 2001 at the International World Sports Awards with their highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his accomplishments as an athlete and for promoting health, sports and fitness among children. In the same year he was also awarded the Taurus Honorary Award by the World Stunt Awards organization to honor his body of work, which consistently supports and celebrates the art and science of stunts in cinema. In 2002, he was given the esteemed honor of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, presented to him by Ali, a longtime friend and sports mentor. He also recently was honored with the Caritas Award for Spirit of Charity from St. Johns Hospital with wife Maria Shriver.

In 2002 Schwarzenegger was selected by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn to light the Olympic cauldron during the countrywide torch run for the summer 2002 Olympics. Schwarzenegger has also received several honorary degrees in recent years. His alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, presented him with the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1979; Imadec University in Vienna bestowed an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration for his Life Achievements in 2001 and in 2002; Chapman University presented him with a Doctorate of Humane Letters for his work with Special Olympics as well as Inner City Games.

In addition, Schwarzenegger is a well-respected investor and business entrepreneur, event producer and author. He has significant commercial real estate holdings in Southern California and considerable corporate investments. Schwarzenegger is a partner with the Limited, Inc. and Georgetown Associates in the Easton Town Center, a one million square-foot urban entertainment and retail shopping center located in the northeast quadrant of Columbus, Ohio, which was opened in 1999. He is also a producer of the Arnold Classic, one of the largest annual bodybuilding and fitness events in the world. The weekend long expo is attended by over 70,000 people and features over 600 booths including the Arnold Strong Man Competition, The Powerlifting World Championship, The Karate World Cup Championship, and a handicapped competition. Schwarzenegger is also the author of many books including Arnold, The Education of a Bodybuilder as well as two volumes of the Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

Throughout his lifetime, Arnold Schwarzenegger has provided the world with so many significant contributions and achievements along a broad spectrum of work ranging from acting, directing and producing to athletic competitions, business ventures and community service. From his early days as Mr. Universe to a well-respected patron of the arts to reigning box office champion he expects the best from himself and inspires the best in others. All the while Schwarzenegger puts his family first as husband of fifteen years to broadcast journalist Maria Shriver and father to their four children Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.

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Maria Shriver: Arnie's secret weapon (By Verity Murphy BBC News Online)

When film star turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger took to the stage as California's new governor the first person he thanked was his wife, Maria Shriver.

"I know how many votes I got today because of you," Mr Schwarzenegger said to the woman who had defended him amid allegations of sexual misconduct in the final stages of campaigning.

While Ms Shriver's decision to stand by her man proved instrumental in ensuring that Mr Schwarzenegger was able to weather that particular storm, her potent influence did not end there, observers say.

Ms Shriver is a scion of the Kennedy clan - America's most revered political dynasty - who can count slain President John F Kennedy and Robert F Kennedy as her uncles.

And as a TV journalist for NBC she is one of the best known faces in the American media.

Political heritage

The daughter of Eunice Kennedy, who is a sister of JFK, Robert and Edward Kennedy, Ms Shriver was born a true blue-blood of American politics.

The immigrant Irish family, whose history is interwoven with the nation's, built a fortune and rose to the top of the political tree, casting a spell of youth and glamour that captivated the American public.

Even the Kennedy family has its own big tent policy

Senator Edward Kennedy

Even the Shriver side of the family are no strangers to politics, as Maria's own father Sargent Shriver once ran for the office of vice president with George McGovern in 1972.

But if Ms Shriver was born into the upper echelons of America's ruling elite it was as a Democrat, not as a Republican.

Blood thicker than water

Her Republican governor husband could not have been a more unlikely match.

The two first met at a charity tennis tournament in 1977 when Ms Shriver was just 21 and Mr Schwarzenegger a 30-year-old bodybuilder, newly arrived from Austria, hoping to make it big in Hollywood.

Ms Shriver married the action movie hero in 1986 and the two have four children, aged between five and 13.

The couple have spent their time shuttling in their private jet between homes in Los Angeles and Sun Valley, Idaho.

In the run-up to the election Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy remained loyal to his party by refusing to endorse Mr Schwarzenegger's candidacy.

But with Mr Schwarzenegger firmly in place in the governor's mansion, the Kennedy clan have demonstrated that blood is thicker than water, by embracing the new Republican branch of their political dynasty.