Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ex-wife Maria Shriver Pushed Him to Change His On-Screen Image for the Sake of Their Children

The renowned bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger married his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, back in 1986. They were together for 35 years until their divorce in 2021. After being happy for over 10 years, the couple chose to call off their marriage. But it wasn’t without meaningful contributions to each other’s lives that the two parted ways. 

Maria, the former first lady of California and a member of the Kennedy Clan, was perhaps one of the reasons for Arnold’s success as an actor. She, along with her husband, the former governor of California, spoke to Vanity Fair, discussing their relationship amidst political complexities.

Arnold Schwarzenegger could have become a joke

The trajectory in which the actor was headed after the success of movies like The Terminator could have propelled him in a rather stagnant direction. The action hero stereotype was a tough bait to escape from, given the kind of fame that followed.

When Arnold ran for president at 56, he was already a successful star after Terminator 3 earned him over $30 Million. “But he was at the point where staying in the game could turn him into a caricature,” said Shriver.

Read More: Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Raises $5.8 Million For A Noble Cause

Being a family man, the retired professional bodybuilder was urged by his ex-wife to attempt more versatile roles. A reliable source told Vanity Fair, stating, “Maria told me that she did not want her children to see her father playing violent hit men, so she had pushed Arnold to change his image, playing Danny DeVito’s brainy brother in Twins and an undercover policeman in Kindergarten Cop.”

A worthy decision for Arnold

It was a straightforward proposal by Schwarzenegger and DeVito that convinced Universal Pictures to take a chance and open its wallet at the latter end of the 1980s, launching a new line of comedies in the process. 

The studio, however, was unaware that Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to try his hand at a comedy film and thought the time was right for him to do it. After taking his wife’s advice seriously, he became more careful about his image as an actor and a politician.

In fact, his switch to a different genre was so successful that Twins outgrossed the action film Schwarzenegger had filmed earlier that year, Red Heat. Furthermore, it would also mark the beginning of a cycle in which he would frequently switch between action blockbusters and high-concept comedies.

The latter were all based on the notion of an action star deviating from his comfort zone. Afterward, the actor would continue to make other hit comedies like Jingle All The Way, besides blockbuster action movies like Total Recall.

Watch This Story: From Arnold Schwarzenegger to Ronnie Coleman here are some of the famous protein shake recipes