Arnold Schwarzenegger - 30 Surprising & Amazing Facts You Must Read

1) The Austrian Oak went AWOL from the Army to compete in his first bodybuilding contest. Over a month after entering into military service, Arnold Schwarzenegger received an invitation to compete in the Junior Mr. Europe Championships. Despite harsh impending consequences, Arnold ran away to compete. Upon returning, he was sentenced to several days of solitary confinement.

Here's the interesting part of the story. After Arnold Schwarzenegger's superiors officers found out about his victory, they "sentenced" him to kitchen duty. There, the future governor of California was able to eat all the meat and food he wanted.

2) What is Arnold's middle name? Alois. Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger.

3) The Guinness Book of World Records has referred to the Governator as "the most perfectly developed human in the history of the world."

Related: The Ultimate Arnold Schwarzenegger Photo Timeline

4) He is a cigar aficionado. Arnold's favorite smoke? Well one of them is... The Punch Punch. "Punch Punch is actually my favorite size, it's good for an after-dinner smoke or during the day."

5) The memorable line "I'll be back" from the Terminator movie was originally scripted as, "I'll come back." Arnie changed it.

6) Arnold was the first civilian to own a humvee, or Hummer.

7) There is a ski slope named after Schwarzenegger. "The Arnold Run" is located in Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

8) Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to take a salary when he was governor of California.

9) Childhood friends claim that Arnie had three goals in life: To move to America. To become an actor. To marry a Kennedy. Arnold achieved all three.

10) James Cameron initially wanted to cast Schwarzenegger as Kyle Reese in the Terminator. Arnold preferred to play the role of the machine, despite it having very few lines. Arnold simply replied to Cameron, "Trust me." The rest is history.

11) In true Hollywood fashion, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he would run for governor of California on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

12) He underwent heart surgery in 1997 to fix a congenital heart valve condition.

13) While married to Maria Schriver, Arnold fathered a son with housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena.

14) Here's an award you don't want! Arnold Schwarzenegger has been nominated for a Razzie for Worst Actor eight times.

15) Arnold turned down the role of John McClane in the Die Hard movie series.



16) In 1973 the Olympia champion appeared on the Dating Game TV show very early in his career.

17) In the movie Hercules, Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in the credits as "Arnold Strong."

18) Arnold auditioned for the TV role of the Incredible Hulk but was turned down because, at 6'2", he was too short. Lou Ferrigno later landed the role, having a three inch height advantage.

19) As a child, Arnie's house had no toilet, no phone, and no refrigerator.

20) By the age of 22, and before ever appearing in a single movie, Arnold was a self-made millionaire.

21) The German version of the Terminator excludes Arnold's voice. Why? They didn't deem him to be tough enough.

22) His brother Meinhard died at the age of 24 in a drunk driving accident.

23) For Terminator 2, Arnold Schwarzenegger received $21,429 for each word he spoke.

24) In 2004, while on vacation in Hawaii, Arnold saved a drowning man from dying.

25) As a young man, Arnold was so eager to work out that he would actually break into closed gyms.

26) No one has punched more animals in the movies than Arnold Schwarzenegger. To date he has punched two camels, two dogs, and a reindeer.

27) While filming Conan the Barbarian, he suffered a severe back injury as he ran and fell on the rocks.

28) Arnold received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987.

29) Schwarzenegger wasn't the first actor to become governor of California. Ronald Reagan was.

30) His favorite all-time movie? The Kindergarten Cop