Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger received a Golden Globe Award for acting as early as 1977. He followed it up with a cult classic bodybuilding docu-drama Pumping Iron (1977). Arnie’s big break in Hollywood came when he starred in Conan the Barbarian (1982). However, it wasn’t until Schwarzenegger started in The Terminator (1984) that he truly became a household name.

Arnold Schwarzenegger leveraged his seven-time Mr. Olympia-winning bodybuilding fame and charisma to enter Hollywood. While the five-time Mr. Universe winner physique helped him build a record-setting bodybuilding career, it became a hindrance in Hollywood. However, that was until filmmaker James Cameron saw it as an aspect to heighten Arnie’s character. Through The Terminator, James Cameron crafted a role that has continued to amplify Schwarzenegger’s legacy as an action icon.

The unlikely success of The Terminator and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Early on in his career, the bodybuilding legend struggled to find work. The casting directors rejected the Austrian Oak for his accent and massive 240 lbs, ripped physique. They thought Schwarzenegger was too big to star in Hollywood films. Even John Milius made the action star shed muscle and pounds to star as Conan.

While the film did well at the box office and got a sequel, Schwarzenegger was among the biggest stars in Hollywood. So the rising talent got an offer to star in the film from a rising filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron met to discuss The Terminator at a restaurant and Arnie paid because Cameron was strapped for cash.

While The Austrian Oak accepted the offer, he banked his hopes in the success of Conan The Destroyer. Arnie didn’t think The Terminator would become a success. Besides he barely had in dialogue in the film and was to portray the physically imposing killer android from the future. However, Cameron’s vision, concept, story, and world-building surpassed all expectations.

The then-young director used Arnold’s character with such effect that both Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Terminator (1984) became an instant success. While Conan the Destroyer bombed at the box office, The Terminator fared far better than anyone expected. Suddenly, the bodybuilding icon became the star he always dreamed of being.

With a meager production budget of $6 million, The Terminator earned over $78 million worldwide. Critics praised Arnie’s performance, and he won the audience’s hearts. The James Cameron film kickstarted the action star’s career.

Arnold Schwarzenegger became a bankable star

While Conan the Barbarian introduced Arnold Schwarzenegger as an action hero, The Terminator made him an action star. Shortly after The Terminator, Arie starred in Commando (1985), followed by yet another career-defining film, Predator (1987). Arnie was on a roll and starred in memorable action films like The Running Man (1987), Total Recall (1990), and more.

Schwarzenegger’s first comedy Twins (1988) also became an instant classic. However, it would take yet another Terminator film to catapult Arnold Schwarzenegger into the realm of a global icon of cinema. In 1991, the action icon reprised his role as the T-800 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The much-awaited sequel lived up to everyone’s expectations and even surpassed the original.

Most importantly for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terminator 2 earned five times what the original did. Cameron, who had become an established director by 1991, made the film with a budget of around $100 million. However, the film earned $515 million at the worldwide box office in 1991. It became the most successful film in Arnie’s Hollywood career. The Terminator became a franchise.

The film that spawned a franchise that’s still relevant

With Terminator 2, Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes one of the most successful actors in not just the action genre, but all of Hollywood. While the bodybuilding legend had worked with renowned directors and starred in iconic films, the two Terminator films propelled his career to heights he could’ve only dreamed of. While James Cameron didn’t direct the third installment, Arnie’s star power made it a success.

Since then, Hollywood has made three other Terminator films and a TV show. Today, the entire Terminator franchise has earned $2 billion according to The Numbers. The fact Arnie’s fame was fame became inextricably tied to The Terminator became apparent when the fourth film fell flat at the box office. Schwarzenegger didn’t star in Terminator: Salvation as he served California as Governor.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger returned in 2015’s Terminator: Genisys, the film earned $432 million thanks to Schwarzenegger despite poor ratings. So it’s safe to say that The Terminator franchise helped the bodybuilding icon become one the greatest action heroes in Hollywood history.