Arnold Schwarzenegger – Before He Became Governor

September 1999 By Philip Berk

If only Arnold’s movies were as good as his press conferences!

His first movie in two years, End of Days, has opened to poor reviews and disappointing box office, but Arnold Schwarzenegger is as buoyant as ever.

Arriving at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills for the press junket, he gives no indication that two years ago he underwent open heart surgery. He looks the picture of health and far too robust to be 52.

For him End of Days is just a beginning.

“It was very important for me to do a big movie, to come back with a big bang. That’s the way a guy like me has to come back. I cannot just come back with a little movie. It doesn’t fit my character, so in this I am fighting the devil.”

Two years ago he explained why he elected the surgery?

“I knew for years, since I was eighteen when I was in the military in Austria, that I have a problem with my heart — I had a heart murmur — but I didn’t know I would need surgery. A few years ago I found out that this murmur had escalated and that I was one of the fifty percent who eventually need surgery. So I knew it was a matter of time. Would it be ten years from now, fifteen years from now, five years from now? When I was told I should get the surgery within two years. I decided it would be better if I planned the whole thing rather than wait for a surprise attack, where the doctor says next month you have to go into surgery.”

So he is happy with that decision?

“Absolutely. It was good that I did it early on knowing my aortic valve needed a valve replacement. It is the same problem that my mother and  my grandmother had. My grandmother died of it, and my mother died of it because she refused to have the surgery.

“She always said, ‘I don’t want to get involved in this. When God wants me, he should have me.’ That was her attitude and then she died on August 2 at my father’s grave, when she was visiting it for his birthday. That was very sad news, but again surgeries like this make you live longer, and eventually we will have surgeries that can make you live on forever, hopefully, because the thing that  makes me mad about life is that one day we have to die. I hate that thought. I despise it.” 

Obviously Arnold is enjoying the good life: fame, wealth, a good marriage (to TV celebrity Maria Shriver) and four healthy children.

What makes their Hollywood marriage work, where others fail?

“You’re right, in Hollywood if you make it home from the chapel without a divorce, you’re congratulated. Every marriage is different, but what makes ours work is the love and respect we have for each other. With these two things you can solve a lot of problems. It’s not easy to live with anyone because you’re two different people, particularly Maria and I. She comes from America, I come from Austria. I come from a farm, she comes from a royal family, from wealth. I  come from a place where we never thought of doing charitable work. She comes from a family that’s dedicated to public service. I became very conservative,  as  a reaction to socialism in Austria. She comes from the Democratic party  which is close to a socialistic political system. I come from a physical world, she from an intellectual world  So you have those real opposites here But because we respect one another, it works. I think he world of Maria. It’s extraordinary what a woman she is. I’ve never known anyone like her except my mother.

“So it’s that what keeps us together and makes us fight through the ups and downs, and we have our ups and downs  but Maria is always understanding when we have our downs, very loving. She visits me in the garage all the time. This is how we go through life. There’s no couch. just the back of the car, and it’s terrific to live together like that and then to create children. All of a sudden that becomes the thing that neutralizes everything. We look at those kids and say this is unbelievable.”

Despite the conservative label he gives himself, hasn’t he become much more liberal?

“I am still a Republican, but there are elements in the party that I do not agree with, that are too much to the right and anti-everything. So we have to move those people out of the way and become a party of compassion with a strong commitment to social problems.”

Would he follow Ronald Reagan’s example and run for governor of California?

“It’s something I could do, down the line, a possibility. But right now I’m still heavy into show business. There are a lot of movies I want to do, definitely, but I was always interested in politics. I love solving problems. I could do a great job for California, slightly better than what we have now. So we will see what will happen.”

Was he surprised when Austria, a country whose citizenship he’s renounced, honored him by naming a stadium after him?

“When I was younger I couldn’t wait to get out of Austria, but that was because I wanted to get into show business, I wanted to become a body building champion, and only America could provide that. So I came to California, to Hollywood , the Mecca of the movie industry, where I built my career. I did all the things I dreamed of doing here, but I never forgot Austria, which gave me a tremendous foundation.In Austria I got the right education, the right upbringing by my parents, one which was disciplined and strict. I had great coaches, great teachers. So I give Austria a tremendous amount of credit for what happened to me in America. But for me, America is the land of opportunity, even though  my heart will always be in Austria.”

What does he think of the rising star of the Austrian Right, political leader Joerg Haider?

“The encouraging thing is three quarters of the people voted against him, said no to his policies. Not every one of his policies is bad, but there are some that I have a problem with. First of all, I’m a foreigner myself, so if he has ever made statements about foreigners or about immigration, you touch a very sore spot with me. I made my living by being an immigrant. But at the same time we have a tremendous amount of foreigners from Yugoslavia. Sometimes what he says and what he does are two different things, and as I’ve said before he has to come clean. He has to say, ‘What I have said in the past about the era of the Second world War and what I’ve said about immigration are stupid comments.’ But some of his ideas are good.”

He once called his mother and Maria the two most important people in his life (in that order).

What did her passing mean to him?

“It’s always sad when someone passes away, but there is always an upside, because I spent so many wonderful times with my mother. I have no regrets that I didn’t give her more of my time or that I wasn’t nicer to her. She was an extraordinary mother. There were times when I was a baby that she had to carry me over a mountain to get to a hospital at two o’clock in the morning. She made ultimate sacrifices for me, so I tried to pay her back. I made sure she was on every single movie set with me, she watched me film, she traveled around the world with me promoting my films, she watched my kids grow. We went over to Austria and visited her, or she came over here for two three months a year and stayed with us. Her body is gone, but her memory will live forever.”

When she was alive he joked, “She gets the royal treatment when she comes here. She is happy to be with her grandchildren. We have a great time together. She visits my office, she goes to Schatzi Restaurant (which he owns)  invites people and they dine there. She has a great time, and that makes her happy,”

What attracted him to End of Days?

“After my surgery, everyone was concerned about me being ill and if I would come back. I had looked at several projects before my surgery, so I said to myself in order to make a statement, I should look for a big story, and what better one than the one that deals with the Millennium and  the Devil returning after a thousand years. I liked the idea of having to fight the ultimate enemy. I saw it as a timely project  knowing the Millennium would be a huge event and that everyone would be talking about it.”

Is he a religious person?

“Yes I am. I believe in God, and therefore I believe that everyday we are seduced by  the devil. The devil always has the quick answers that bring pleasure instantly which is what makes him so dangerous. Our story suggests a new Millennium of peace, of dialogue and negotiation. We’re putting the weapon down and saying, ‘That is the wrong way to solve problems. Here is a good way through faith and inner strength.”  

Has he given up smoking cigars?

“I still smoke one a day, but I’ve cut down. I used to smoke three, four a day. Maybe someday I will stop smoking altogether. Who knows?”

Will his children see End of Days?

“My children don’t see all my movies. The only ones they’ve seen are Kindergarten Cop, Twins, and Junior. End of Days is not a movie for my children. Six or seven years from now they can see it. I don’t want them to wake up with nightmares.”

Are he and Maria planning  to have more kids?

“Why plan? The last one was not a plan. You know, every time we go to Sun Valley on vacation, my wife gets pregnant. It’s like a strange thing.”

What does he say to those who accuse him of buying his way to redemption? And is it true that he donates $50,000 to the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation in Los Angeles every time he makes a film?

“The amount is not correct. What is correct is that every time I make a movie, I give them a contribution, but at the same time I donate a certain percentage of my income to charity and organizations that need money. I donate money to Austria, to Germany. 

“But I am a strong believer in the Simon Wiesenthal Museum. (The Museum’s) Rabbi Hier is a very dear friend of mine, and I’ve learned a lot from him over the years. I’ve gotten the Humanitarian Award and  the Leadership Award from him because I am out there talking about tolerance, about the importance of getting rid of prejudice. That’s what the museum is about, to show what happens when there is intolerance and prejudice and hatred, when there’s ignorance and a refusal to learn and expand your mind. I want to participate financially in that  so we don’t have the same problems in the future.” 

What type of a father is he?

“I try to spend a lot of time with my children. I was brought up in a completely different circumstance. We were very poor, it was after WW2, there was no food around. This is a different time now. If I think about the way my parents raised me, it would be considered child beating because I was smacked periodically by my mother when I did something wrong. You can’t do that today.  Of course I have an advantage because my wife is with them all day. So when I come home at night, it’s easy to be the disciplinarian.”

Is he teaching them German and does he spoil them? 

“I ask them to say the numbers from 1 to 40 in German. Are they spoilt? Much more than when I grew up, but we’re trying to make sure that we don’t go to extremes.”

What is he most proud of in terms of his accomplishments?

“I’m most proud of my family. Professionally speaking I’m proud of the fact that I came over here from Europe with a tremendous drive and with a very strong will which enabled me to do all the things I have been able to do.”

Two years later Arnold is bouncing with energy.

But my lead is not quite as positive. 

Never write off a career, but for Arnold Schwarzenegger his last movie End of Days might well have been prophetic.

His latest The Sixth Day is another disappointment.

Having cost $80 million, its first week opening of $16 million isn’t very reassuring.

The Bible tells us on the seventh day he rested.

And maybe that’s just what Arnold has in mind.

Not retirement, but a new job:

Governor of California!

At his press conference for The Sixth Day, he looks healthy, trim, and tanned but  there’s a strange tightness around the eyes.

No one dares mention this, but I ask him about his plans to run for public office.

Why he?  is my question.

“The only reason I would get into politics,” he answers, “is because I am very upset with politicians’ taking special interest money. Democrats are continuously in the pockets of the unions, and the Republicans are continuously in the pockets of big interests. Once they’re elected they owe those groups. I would never accept special interest money. If I ran for office, I would promote true leadership. I would have no conflict of interest because I don’t need the job. Career politicians have no other job. I say, let someone new with new ideas come in, someone like me who has a better way of leading California in whatever office I would run for.”

How would his (Democrat) wife react? (She of course is Maria Shriver the TV journalist whose uncles were John and Bobby Kennedy.)

“We don’t really argue about politics. I understand the way she feels. I don’t try to change her mind. She doesn’t try to change my mind. Our kids are growing up as Demo-publicans, that’s the way it is.”

So at this point is he ready to change careers?

“I’ve been very fortunate in my life. I have gone much further than I ever dreamed. I had a dream of coming to America, becoming the most muscular man in the world, then going into the Hercules movies I saw as a kid.  I had no idea that this would go far beyond those physically oriented movies. Everything that has happened in my acting career is way beyond  anything I ever expected. So I am one of those guys that has enjoyed the ride. My new goals are to continue working in films but I also feel the need, the desire to help people, and that is something which I have already achieved with the Special Olympics and with the Inner City Games in Los Angeles. One day I might decide to stop with show business and with acting, but I don’t have a definite plan and I don’t know if or when it will happen.”

Has he learned to slow down since his (open heart) surgery last year?

“I remember when my wife was with me in the hospital and she said to the doctor after the operation, ‘How much should he cut back? How will this change his life style?’ and the doctor said, ‘I think he will experience one third more energy.’  And my wife said, ‘Oh my God, I  don’t know if I can handle it.’ So that’s exactly what’s happened. I mean, I’m full of energy, I love to do as many things as possible. I have a very vigorous schedule, but I try to balance my professional and personal life.”

His wife has written a book, What Is Heaven, to explain death to children. If he were to write a book what would it be about?

“She has dealt so much with death in her family (two assassinations) she looks at this quite differently. If I were to write a book, it would be geared towards parents rather than children. For me the biggest problem in this country is the lack of parenting that is going on. I grew up with a father that came home every night, and after dinner played with us, looked at our homework. At the same time if we did something wrong he would go directly into the classroom and smack me in front of the kids. Even though we didn’t like it, there was leadership, there was guidance. It gave us a sense of security knowing that both parents were involved. We had love and affection. Kids today are on their own. Lack of parenting, I believe, is the ultimate child abuse.”

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