LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Arnold Schwarzenegger's new Netflix documentary, ‘Arnold’, focuses on what made the ‘Commando’ actor the entertainment behemoth that he is today. The Austria-born professional bodybuilding champion found his calling as an actor when he moved to the United States of America. The former governor of California has always maintained that he was adopted by America. In his latest release, one of the three segments is titled 'American'.
‘The Terminator’ actor, who is the epitome of the American Dream, had wanted to come to the US ever since he was ten years old. He realized his dream when he was 21 as he crossed the Atlantic with nothing but his gym bag. After moving to California, he won three more Mr Universe competitions (he had already won the European version before) that solidified his stronghold in the country. Speaking to Interview Magazine, Schwarzenegger recently opened up about America's impact on his career saying he is not a “self-made man”, but rather “was made” in America.
‘Who made me?’
In the interview, the former Mr Olympia refused to call himself a “self-made man,” saying, "I always said you can call me anything you want, but don’t call me a self-made man, because I’m not. Who made me? We can say god, or we can say my mother and my father."
The actor and the entrepreneur, who is never shy to acknowledge the help he has received throughout his career, said further, "People that helped me, like this guy with the radio, or in the military, or Joe Weider (the creator of the Mr Olympia bodybuilding award) who brought me to America, or (Charles) 'Wag' Bennett in London who let me stay at his house and helped me with the English language and was a judge in a Mr Universe contest.”
The Austrian Oak, who traded his bodybuilding career in the 1980s to become a Hollywood star, firmly said, "I’m the last one to say, 'I’m a self-made man.' I would say I was born in Austria, made in America."
‘I have been adopted by America’
In his 2012 autobiography, the actor-turned-politician declared boldly that even though he was born in Austria, America adopted him to give him his identity. He wrote, “As you know, I'm an immigrant. I came over here as an immigrant, and what gave me the opportunities, what made me to be here today, is the open arms of Americans. I have been received. I have been adopted by America.”
In 2017, he tweeted about coming to America filled with dreams but empty pockets. “My dream was always America. I came to America with empty pockets, but full of dreams,” he tweeted.
As an immigrant, he is also well aware of his work ethic. In an interview with Men’s Health Magazine, he said, "Well, I see it in the gym. I see guys I meet in the gym that are from Austria. They're aggressive. They're from Israel, they're from France, they're from Germany, from Russia, from all kinds of different places. And they find their way, because what happens when you're a foreigner is, you have the work ethic. You know that you have to struggle from the beginning; otherwise you wouldn't be leaving your country. If you had this wonderful, rosy atmosphere, you would not want to leave.”
