Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver met one another at the Robert F. Kennedy Celebrity Tennis Tournament in 1977. The two instantly hit it off and after eight years of dating, tied the knot in 1986. However, the bodybuilding icon wanted to do something special for his then-future wife. He wanted to gift Shriver something unique and exclusive as their wedding gift. So he contacted the ‘Prince of Pop Art’ Andy Warhol. Warhol’s affinity for painting celebrities also made him the perfect candidate for the Terminator actor.

In his autobiography, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, Schwarzenegger revealed what Warhol made. He also revealed why the renowned artist laughed at his request.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger convinced Andy Warhol

While decorating the house they’d move into after their wedding, Arnold Schwarzenegger picked out the “best spot” on the living room wall where he would hang his wedding gift to Maria Shriver. He wanted to gift Shriver a one-of-a-kind and exclusive painting that no one could replicate. To make his dream a reality, the Hollywood icon contacted Andy Warhol.

‘The Prince of Pop Art’ made silkscreen paintings of  Marilyn Monroe in 1962 and Elvis Presley in 1963. Schwarzenegger was fascinated by how the artist made these paintings. In his book, the bodybuilding legend revealed that Warhol’s technique of making such paintings involved, “Shooting Polaroid portraits and then picking one to enlarge as the basis for a silkscreen.” However, the artist also used publicity stills.

Hence, he contacted Andy Warhol and requested him to make a similar silkscreen painting of Shriver. Knowing Warhol loved painting Hollywood stars, Schwarzenegger charmed the artist. “Andy, you have to do me a favor. I have this crazy idea. You know, you always do the paintings of stars? Well, when Maria marries me, she will be a star! You’ll be painting a star!” Schwarzenegger said.

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Warhol laughed at former Mr. Olympia’s statement but agreed to make the silkscreen painting. “He created a dramatic forty-two-inch square painting that captured her wild beauty and intensity,” Schwarzenegger wrote in his autobiography. He hung four copies of the image on the wall in their living room.

The art that fascinated the seven-time, Mr. Olympia

The famous prints that fascinated Arnold Schwarzenegger were two of Warhol’s most iconic works. In 1962, Andy Warhol took a publicity still from a 1953 Marilyn Monroe film, Niagara, and made a silkscreen portrait. Titled Marilyn Diptych, Warhol made the art a few weeks after her death in 1962.

The Pop art icon also used a publicity still to make the Elvis Presley portrait. In 1963, the artist took a still from the Elvis Presley film Flaming Star and created Triple Elvis. He also made other versions like Double Elvis and Eight Elvises.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to gift Maria Shriver something special. So he used his humor to convince an icon of Pop art to create a one-of-a-kind picture.