“He’s Not My Mentor”: $800 Million Worth Actor Once Denied Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Role in His Hollywood Career

Over decades, Hollywood has seen some of the most iconic action heroes. Some of the notable names include Arnold Schwarzenegger, from the 80s, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in more recent years. Both stars have shared a good relationship since 2003 and are often spotted amid banter. However, before this friendship took off, Johnson admitted something about Schwarzenegger.

At the Howard Stern Show in 2002, the wrestler opened up about his connection with Schwarzenegger. After discussing how they met and what they would do, Johnson revealed something new about the bond he shared with the former bodybuilder.

Did Dwayne Johnson consider Arnold Schwarzenegger his mentor?

In a candid chat with Stern and his crew, the wrestler talked about Schwarzenegger’s presence in his life. The duo met in the early 2000s when Schwarzenegger visited a wrestling match to watch Johnson battle it out. Since then, they’ve often hung out and gone together for family dinners. Schwarzenegger even visited the sets of Johnson’s movie, ‘The Scorpion King‘, to support the star.

Incidentally, Dwayne Johnson had also met Maria Shriver earlier at a Republican convention. It helped the two stars bond further. Despite being from similar backgrounds, Schwarzenegger and Johnson would refrain from speaking about working out. Yet, a burning question remained – since Schwarzenegger preceded Johnson as Hollywood’s action hero, was he a mentor to the star?

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“No, he’s not my mentor, but you know I respect what he’s done right because he’s done a lot of good films and uh, you know, so yeah, he’s been real cool, supportive,” answered Johnson. While Schwarzenegger’s movies impacted the wrestler, he saw the former bodybuilder more as a friend than a mentor. Since Johnson was also transitioning from his sport to the big screen, Schwarzenegger’s support mattered.

Schwarzenegger has always tried to go out of his way to support a fellow athlete’s big-screen venture. In 2003, Johnson’s movie ‘The Rundown’ had a surprise cameo by the former bodybuilder. Despite his political ambitions back then, Schwarzenegger was sporting enough to make a guest appearance. Although Hollywood currently has many new action heroes coming up, Schwarzenegger and Johnson shall always be iconic. Who is your all-time favorite action hero?

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