Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (/ˈʃwɔːɹtsəˌnɛɡə(ɹ)/; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, politician, and former professional bodybuilder. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Schwarzenegger began lifting weights at the age of 15 and won the Mr. Universe bodybuilding championship at the age of 20. He won the Mr. Olympia title seven times, tying with Phil Heath for the second-highest number of wins. Nicknamed the "Austrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, he is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has written books and articles about bodybuilding, including the autobiographical Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (1977) and The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (1998). The Arnold Sports Festival, the second-most prestigious bodybuilding event after the Mr. Olympia competition, is named after him. He appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron (1977), which set him on his way to a career in films. After retiring from bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action star. His breakthrough came with his starring role in Conan the Barbarian (1982), which was followed by a sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984). He subsequently starred as the Terminator in the science fiction film The Terminator (1984), and reprised the role in four sequels. Schwarzenegger's other appearances include the action films Commando (1985), The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990), and True Lies (1994), and the comedies Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Jingle All the Way (1996). At the height of his career, Schwarzenegger was known for his rivalry with Sylvester Stallone. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. He is the founder of the film production company Oak Productions. As a registered member of the Republican Party, Schwarzenegger chaired the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during most of the George H. W. Bush administration. In 2003, he was elected governor of California in a special recall election to replace Gray Davis. He received 48 percent of the vote, 17 points ahead of the runner-up, Cruz Bustamante of the Democratic Party. He was sworn in on November 17 to serve the remainder of Davis' term, and was reelected in the 2006 gubernatorial election with an increased vote share of 55 percent to serve a full term. In 2011, he reached his term limit as governor and returned to acting. As of 2025, Schwarzenegger and insurance commissioner Steve Poizner are the last Republicans to win or hold statewide office in California, having both won their respective elections in 2006.