He started out as a bodybuilder, winning the title of Mr. Universe at the age of 20. Since then Arnold Schwarzenegger has accrued an endless list of nicknames and titles, often in tribute to his traits, but many just because his name is such a mouthful.
Beyond the endless acclaim and titles he won throughout his bodybuilding career lay the bright lights of Hollywood, and in the town of tinsel his fame and fortune only grew.
In the 80s, Hollywood saw the emergence of the blockbuster, leading to the rise of the action heavyweight โ this included Arnie in several era-defining movies. There were a few hits and misses amongst them, but regardless of what critics thought, the Austrian actor punched out hit after hit.
Even though he slipped into political office as the governor of California in 2003, he never truly left the cinematic world. Because we got to see Arnie back in action inย Sabotage, in 2014, we decided to take a look at the roles that defined his career and continue to make him one of Hollywoodโs hottest heavyweights.
1. Conan
Arnieโs acting career started with the low-budget movieย Hercules in New York, but it was his role as the title character inย Conan the Barbarianย that really paved the way for the actor to continue tearing up the big screen in the 80s, and well into the 90s.
Appearances:ย Conan the Barbarianย (1982);ย Conan the Destroyerย (1984)
2. The Terminator
Theย Terminatorย movie franchise is a classic in the science fiction genre and Schwarzenegger's role, again as the title character, will undoubtedly go down in movie history as his most famous. From his monosyllabic one-liners to his transition from bad guy to good between the original and the sequel, there are many reasons to love both the franchise and one of its most important characters.
Appearances:ย The Terminatorย (1984);ย Terminator 2: Judgment Dayย (1991);ย Terminator 3: Rise of the Machinesย (2003);ย Terminator: Genisysย (2015)
3. Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer
Sci-fi got freaky with a terrifying alien that hunts prey for sport inย Predator. A Special Forces team is dispatched after the evil beastie, and who better to lead them than our very own Arnie? As Dutch, he becomes the predator of the title, turning the tables on the dreadlocked alien in the ultimate battle for survival.
Appearance:ย Predatorย (1987)
4. Julius Benedict
Even though some of Arnieโs deadpan and campy work in the 80s may have elicited several laughs, the release ofย Twinsย in 1988 proved that Schwarzenegger could be a box-office draw when it came to an actual comedy. Starring opposite Danny DeVito as his not-so-identical twin brother, he followed the comedic role with another comedy hit, inย Kindergarten Cop.
Appearance:ย Twinsย (1988)
5. Trench
With his role as The Governator clogging his schedule in the 21st century, Arnoldโs movie appearances were few and far between.ย The Expendablesย marked his return to the big screen, starting with a blink-and-youโll-miss-him cameo in the first movie, before the role was fleshed out in the sequels, teaming him up with fellow action legends from the '80s such as Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis.
Appearances:ย The Expendablesย 1 (2010) , 2 (2012) and 3 (2014)