Linda Hamilton is taking back her initial assumption of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting ability on “The Terminator” set.
The actress revealed during Netflix’s three-part documentary “Arnold” (via Insider) that she had a “snotty definition” of what it meant to be an actor, one that professional bodybuilder Schwarzenegger didn’t fit into.
“By our snotty definition, Arnold was a poser, a bodybuilder pretending to be an actor,” Hamilton said. “But because I was curious, I went and stood off the sidelines watching Arnold, and I bought it. The physicality and the stiffness, and all of the things that he was implementing. I was like, ‘OK, this might work.’”
She added that the film was “truly just another job,” and she had no idea it would become a franchise.
“I didn’t think that it was particularly greater than over scripts that I’d read. I mean, really clueless,” Hamilton said. “It was very low budget and we were all rather new at it. I definitely had my doubts.”
By the time James Cameron’s sequel, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” began, Schwarzenegger admitted that Hamilton had outperformed him at the gym.
“A few days before we start shooting, Jim Cameron says to me, ‘Let’s all get together and have a nice dinner.’ Linda comes in and she takes her sweater off and I’m looking at her arms,” Schwarzenegger recalled. “Veins on the biceps, and then triceps. Everything was like a bodybuilder but except miniature. I said, ‘I can’t believe that son of a bitch is fucking more cut than me.’”
Schwarzenegger previously confirmed that he is done with the “Terminator” films after reuniting with Hamilton in 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate.” Schwarzenegger has appeared in six of the franchise installments.
“The franchise is not done. I’m done,” Schwarzenegger said. “I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to ‘The Terminator.’ Someone has to come up with a great idea.”
He added, “‘The Terminator’ was largely responsible for my success, so I always would look at it very fondly. The first three movies were great. Number four [‘Salvation’] I was not in because I was governor. Then five [‘Genisys’] and six [‘Dark Fate’] didn’t close the deal as far as I’m concerned. We knew that ahead of time because they were just not well-written.”
