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 Arnold Schwarzenegger 2007 infographic
Caricature shows movie star turned Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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BIRTHDAY

Arnold Schwarzenegger 2007

July 30, 2007 - Movie star turned Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, turns 60.

One glance at the official website of the 38th Governor of California says it all: Arnold Schwarzenegger is the embodiment of the American Dream. The little boy who fantasised about leaving his native Austria to make it big in the land of opportunity, is today one of that country’s leading politicians, though his being born a foreigner bars him, under the present constitution, from holding the ultimate office. By any standards his success is phenomenal. Already a millionaire businessman before Hollywood made him an international superstar in the 80s, Schwarzenegger’s sheer physique opened doors for him while still a teenager. In the days when steroids were still widely and legally used by athletes the world over, the policeman’s son from a village near Graz became a bodybuilder of such stature that, at the peak of his career, his calves were 20 inches (50cm) in diameter, while he boasted a 57-inch (145cm) chest.

Winning the Mr Universe title -- which he took five times in all -- paved the way for his move to the United States in 1968. The 21-year-old immigrant arrived speaking little English and set about training under Joe Weider at Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica. Two years later he achieved his goal of winning Mr Olympia, the first of seven occasions on which he would hold the title. He made his money first in a bricklaying business, taking advantage of the need for building work in the aftermath of the Los Angeles earthquake of 1971. Then, trading off his sporting success, Schwarzenegger went on to sell fitness equipment via mail order. Property investments followed, including a number of restaurants, among them the Planet Hollywood chain which he founded with fellow actors Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

As an actor he was initially hampered by his strong Austrian accent, but the documentary movie Pumping Iron (1977), about bodybuilding, proved an ideal vehicle. The 1982 box office hit Conan the Barbarian furthered his career, but it was the staggeringly successful Terminator films, from 1984 onwards, which really catapulted him to superstardom and gave him the legendary catchphrase “I’ll be back” -- the words even accompany his hand and footprints on the walk of fame outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

Known universally by now as Arnie, Schwarzenegger proved he could do more than just action-packed roles when he co-starred with Danny DeVito in the 1988 comedy Twins, followed by Kindergarten Cop in 1990. The same year saw the release of the sci-fi thriller Total Recall, one of the most expensive films ever made, which reportedly earned its star $10 million, along with 15 percent of the gross profits. Sharon Stone played Arnie’s screen wife. In real life, Schwarzenegger is married to the broadcast journalist Maria Shriver and the couple have four children.

His political career grew directly from his celebrity status. A Republican, Schwarzenegger appeared alongside then-Vice President George Bush Snr. in the presidential election of 1988. Once in office, President Bush made him chairman of his Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. By the end of the 90s Schwarzenegger was talking openly about running for office and when the recall election for Governor of California was announced in 2003, he used a television appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to declare his intention to stand. The move proved more than a stunt; he was re-elected in November last year with a majority of over one million votes and his political credentials, among supporters at least, are no longer in doubt. Speculation continues that he might run for the Senate in three years’ time, while legislation to overturn the constitutional bar to his becoming President Schwarzenegger is already being proposed.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 23/7/2007; STORY: Susan Shepherd; PICTURES: Bob Hoare
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