Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected The Terminator at first, but his ideas made him the role’s only choice - Here's the full story

Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger was initially reluctant to play the role of The Terminator (1984), but it was his vision and ideas that ultimately led him to become the iconic cybernetic android?

In an old interview from 2019 on The Howard Stern Podcast, the veteran actor discussed the film and how he ultimately landed the role of the humanoid robot. This is not the kind of role that Schwarzenegger really wanted. In fact, he would rather have portrayed Kyle Reese.

So what changed? Well, it all happened when helmer James Cameron and the actor sat for lunch and were in a conversation about the film. That is when Cameron asked Schwarzenegger to play the role of the robot.

Schwarzenegger, in the interview, recollected by mentioning:

"It was a total co-incidence because I didn't try out for Terminator. I was trying to be Kyle Reese. And during the lunch when amid that James Cameron the director right, I kept talking all the time about the Terminator."

Keep reading to find out what more Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned about garnering the leading role in The Terminator.

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Here's how Arnold Schwarzenegger's artistic sensibilities led him to become The Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger was not keen to play the role of the Terminator. In fact, he was looking forward to playing Kyle Reese, a role ultimately played by Michael Biehn in the 1984 film. Also, many stars such as O.J. Simpson, Mel Gibson, and Tom Selleck were considered for the role of the Terminator, so what changed?

In a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show, the veteran actor shared an anecdote that highlighted how he had landed the role of the cyborg. During a conversation he was having with James Cameron at lunch, little did the former bodybuilder know that this would be his career-defining moment in his filmography.

In that conversation, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared his idea and understanding of the intense preparation an actor must undergo to portray the character of the Terminator. In the interview, the actor recalled:

"I said remember it. It doesn't matter. I know you guys have already probably hired O.J. Simpsons. I said but whoever is playing it, I just want you to be clear. He has to train himself to duty sample weapons into boot weapons together, and to shoot and to load the weapons and all this have blindfolded."

Adding:

Totally blindfolded for that because I am Terminator, I can never ever look down at his hand no matter what because he's a machine. And has said when he walks, he has to have a certain walk. I mean, he scans and looks around, he has to have a certain scan. It has to be absolutely clear at all times that this is a machine with actually absolutely no human behaviour."

Furthermore, the Total Recall actor also expressed his admiration for the work of Yul Brynner in the 1973 film Westworld, in which he played the role of an android.

After hearing Schwarzenegger's enthusiasm and his grounded, detailed vision for preparing the character, Cameron asked him to play the role of the Terminator. In the interview, the actor mentioned:

"James Cameron looked at me and at the end of the lunch, and he said 'So why don't you play Terminator? I mean, you understand him so well, this character. This exactly what we need'."

To which, Schwarzenegger responded as he mentioned:

"I said 'No no, Jim, please please. I mean I say I counted the amount of lines this guy says. It's 27 lines." I said, 'In Conan I had 128 lines is it, so I'm not gonna go backwards. I said 'You can give it to someone else, I said but I want to talk a lot, I want to perform it, I want to be the leading man."

Upon which, James Cameron told him:

"I will make that guy a leading man. It's called The Terminator. I will shoot it from below up, you will look heroic. And don't worry about killing all these people because you're a machine. No one is gonna blame Arnold."

Based on this conversation between Schwarzenegger and Cameron, it appears that it was more about the actor's vision, sensibilities, and deep understanding that led the director to choose him for The Terminator. And the rest we all know is history. This role has become one of the most iconic characters in his film career. The films, too, have set a benchmark in the history of cinema.

In a 2022 interview with Graham Bensinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned that James Cameron told him:

"There's no one who will understand the Terminator better than you, so therefore, I think we're all in agreement that you should play the Terminator."

When Schwarzenegger was having apprehensions about playing the character, Cameron assured him by saying:

"Trust me, I will shoot the character so that you're not only the number one villain they've ever seen, but the number one hero."

After that, Cameron asked him to take some time and sit with the thought. Some days passed, and one day, a realization dawned upon Schwarzenegger that had changed everything. He mentioned in the interview:

"Eventually one day I woke up and said to myself, you know, he's right. It would be the most memorable character if it's played right."

In an old interview from 1985 on BBC's Breakfast Time, Arnold Schwarzenegger credited this role with opening up several new possibilities for him, as it was a completely different one from all the rest of the roles he had previously played. He stated:

"It has opened up a whole new thing for me, and of course the most important thing in acting is to be able to get roles in many different areas rather than just get typecast."

The sci-fi film follows the plot of a humanoid robot tasked with the mission to annihilate Sarah Connor, as her expected child is ordained to preserve humanity. The film was then followed up with sequel films, web series, as well as a television series.

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