“I Can’t Breathe” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Co-Star Once Pretended “He’s Dying” to Make Him Give Up a Toxic Habit That He Later Ended Up Picking Himself

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most recognizable people in the world. As a young bodybuilder, he set out of his country carrying about $20 and a bag of gym clothes with a vision to be the greatest. His success across different fields is a testimony to his winning habits. However, one of his habits was a concern for his co-actor on the sets of ‘Predator’, but not for too long.

Schwarzenegger, the youngest to win the Mr. Universe title and a recipient of seven Mr. Olympia titles, played a prominent role in redefining the popularity of bodybuilding. Following a spectacular career in the sport, he laid his focus on Hollywood. Decades have passed, yet Arnold’s movies are a visual treat. While the Terminator is one of the highest-grossing sci-fiction movies, the Predator is touted as one of the scariest monster movies ever.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s co-stars initially objected to him smoking on the sets

The Predator movie was released in 1987. The success of the movie churned out four sequels thereafter, the latest being Prey (2022). A noteworthy incident during the shooting of the first film in the franchise has a connection with Arnold’s smoking habit.

It was the first day of the shoot. Danny DeVito and Carl Weathers weren’t pleased with Arnold lighting a cigar. In an interview, the Predator actor recounted that Weathers would start coughing and pretend “like he’s dying.” Weathers said, “Get away with your stinking stuff. I can’t breathe.” The cool-headed Schwarzenegger didn’t get offended.

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Instead, he explained how soothing the cigar was, as it gives him some respite from the chaos. Also, he took his cigar away from Weathers. In a smoky twist to the scene, a few hours later, Weathers asked Arnold if he could have a cigar. He smoked half of it and asked for one the next day. By the time the movie was half done, he had gotten hooked on the habit and finished box after boxes.

Schwarzenegger didn’t smoke a real cigar until he met his ex-wife Maria Shriver

Arnold smoked little Virginias when he went to Munich as a bodybuilder. However, he said, “but I didn’t smoke a real cigar until 1977, when I met Maria.”

Maria Shriver was an NBC News personality and Arnold met at the Kennedys’ pro-celebrity tennis tournament. After having dinner at the Shriver’s house, Sargent Shriver, Maria’s father, lit a cigar and offered one to the Terminator actor.

Schwarzenegger said with a laugh, “This is a big advantage in life.” Adding a justification, he said, “Your wife can’t complain about your cigars. You can always say, ‘Look, honey, your father wouldn’t have introduced me to something that’s bad.'”

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