Arnold Schwarzenegger took the bodybuilding world by storm in the 1970s. He arrived in America in 1968, and by 1970, he had become Mr. Olympia and left the sport as a seven-time champion. However, the Austrian Oak had to struggle to get into acting. When the bodybuilding icon tried to find work, he faced negative feedback. Producers found him too muscular, his accent too thick, and his name too complicated. Yet, in 1982, it was this uniqueness that gave him his breakthrough role.

In 1982, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in and as Conan the Barbarian. Schwarzenegger trained hard for the film. He trained in martial arts, swordplay, horse riding, and more. Filming was challenging, and Arnie ended up bruised and bloodied in one incident. However, in a recent interview, the 76-year-old actor fondly recalled the film. Arnie explained why the film worked and earned a respectable $79 million.

Arnold Schwarzenegger carved out his niche

In an interview with the New York Times, David Marchese asked the True Lies actor about his success in the 80s. He asked about what “made audiences receptive” toward Arnie. “The uniqueness, the personality, the accent helped. And it was the body because in the ’80s the health and fitness business was exploding,” responded Schwarzenegger.

Schwarzenegger’s first big hit was the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron (1977). Hence, the bodybuilding icon realized he should look for roles where he could show off his unique traits. Schwarzenegger wanted to emulate Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood, who took Westerns to new heights. “I saw myself as that,” said Arnie. So, he didn’t try to compete with the likes of Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman.

“There’s a room in between that,” he said. The actor wanted to star in a film that would cater to people who read comic books and admired larger-than-life heroes. “Conan came along, and it opened up that can of worms,” Arnie told the New York Times. Schwarzenegger shined as Conan for the same reasons that had worked against him in the beginning. However, Schwarzenegger had a close call while filming Conan the Barbarian.

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An accident left Schwarzenegger with twelve stitches

While Conan the Barbarian propelled the Austrian into stardom, things nearly could’ve ended in disaster during filming. Arnie suffered serious injuries while filming the scene where wild dogs chase Conan. Pieces of meat were strewn into the actor’s clothes to make the scene look authentic. After a headstart, the trainer let the dogs loose, and they chased Schwarzenegger.

However, the trainer mistimed the release, and the dogs caught up. Schwarzenegger fell ten feet while climbing a rock, got bit, hurt his back, and got twelve stitches. While Schwarzenegger recovered quickly and resumed filming, he was lucky to have escaped a serious injury.

While filming Conan the Barbarian was a challenging task, the actor passed with flying colors. The audience loved Schwarzenegger as Conan. It’s a film the 76-year-old will forever cherish.

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