Arnold Schwarzenegger
Biographie
Career
1947
Birth of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born in Graz on July 30, 1947. His parents Gustav (August 17, 1907 – December 1, 1972) and Aurelia, née Jadrny, (July 29, 1922 – August 2, 1998) married and initially lived in Mürzsteg. Due to the transfer of the gendarme Gustav, the couple moved to Thal near Graz. Their two sons, Meinhard (July 17, 1946 – May 20, 1971) and Arnold, spent their childhood and youth in the municipality of Thal. In 1967, the parents moved from Thal to Weiz. In the post-war period, the two boys grew up with a typically strict and authoritarian upbringing. The brothers were already very sporty as children, so Arnold started weightlifting at the age of 14.
However, he was soon influenced by the bodybuilders who trained at nearby Lake Thaler. Through consistent and ambitious training, the young Arnold quickly developed his world-famous physique. At the age of 19, on August 8, 1966, he left Thal to go to Munich, where he was able to further his bodybuilding career. There he worked in a fitness studio and not only had the opportunity to earn a living, but also to train privately. At the age of 21, when he had just come of age, Arnold went to America. To this day, he is the most successful bodybuilder of all time, five times Mister Universe and seven times Mister Olympia. He is also the first person to have trained his biceps to over 55 cm.
1966
Career as a Bodybuilder
1968
Career as a Actor
In America, the young Arnold began to work on his career as an actor alongside his career as a bodybuilder. As nobody was able to pronounce “Schwarzenegger” at the beginning, he called himself “Arnold Strong” in his first films, such as “Hercules in New York”. As an actor, he made well over 40 films. James Cameron and Arnold had their breakthrough with the film “Terminator”, which was followed by many more action films and science fiction classics. Numerous comedies such as “Kindergarten Cop”, “Twins” and “Junior” reinforced his fame outside of action films and science fiction fans. As Honorary President of the “Special Olympics Austria”, Arnold has supported the organization on a voluntary basis since the 1970s. It was also Arnold Schwarzenegger who brought the Special Olympics to Austria and made it possible for the games to be held in an international setting.
On August 7, 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for governor of California and was elected with more than 48% of the vote. The implementation of numerous reforms contributed significantly to his re-election as governor in 2007.
2003
Career as a Politician
2013
Career in environmental protection
It was above all his social commitment and involvement with environmental issues that made him not only a media darling, but also a campaigner for a healthier, better world for us all. Even after the end of his time as governor, Arnold continues to campaign for the environment. In spring 2013, for example, he took part in the R20 conference in Vienna, which he founded. R20 stands for “Regions of Climate Action” and is an initiative that campaigns for low-carbon and climate-neutral economic development in regions around the world. After a long absence from cinema, he made Escape Plan (2013) together with Silvester Stallone. Several more films followed (The Last Stand, Expendables, Maggie…) and some are still planned. Terminator Genisys was released in cinemas in 2015. Arnold presented the original Terminator skull to the owner of the museum, Christian Baha, who donated it to the exhibition.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has undertaken a variety of activities since 2015: He condemned white supremacists in 2017 and campaigned for the wearing of masks and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, he made the documentary “Arnold Schwarzenegger – The Embodiment of the American Dream (La fabrique d’Arnold Schwarzenegger)”. In the area of health and climate protection, he called for less meat consumption and has been following a plant-based diet of around 80% since 2018. He returned to the Terminator series with “Terminator: Dark Fate” (2019) and made other films such as “Iron Mask” (2019) and “Fubar” (2023). In 2023, he published the book “Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.” He also initiated the annual Austrian World Summit to promote climate protection. Arnold’s tireless commitment to social and environmental causes and his dedication to film will continue to bring about significant positive change and inspire global initiatives in the future.
2015
Further career
“Stay hungry”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s unforgettable life and career are based on his six rules of success.
Private life
On April 26, 1986, Arnold married the American journalist and reporter Maria Owings Shriver. She is a niece of the late US President John F. Kennedy, and daughter of Eunice Kennedy (founder of the Special Olympics) and Sargent Shriver (former US Ambassador to France, 1968-1970). They have four children together:
Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger (*1989)
Christina Maria Aurelia Schwarzenegger (*1991)
Patrick Arnold Schwarzenegger (*1993)
Christopher Sargent Shriver Schwarzenegger (*1997)
In 2011, Maria Shriver found out about Arnold’s infidelity and his illegitimate son:
Joseph Baena (*1997)
She then broke up with him. Arnold finally met Heather Milligan in 2012 and has been with her since 2013.
