Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger, b. July 30, 1947) is an American bodybuilder, businessman, and film actor of Austrian origin, who became an action-movie icon of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1993, when the novel is set, Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the peak of his Hollywood career. By that point he had already starred in such landmark films as Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Terminator (1984), Commando (1985), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987), Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990), and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
Unlike the novel's talkative character, Schwarzenegger really did build an on-screen image as a man of few words with an icy stare. His line from The Terminator — "I'll be back" — became one of the most recognizable quotes in film history. In the action films of the era, Arnold often delivered short, punchy one-liners that stuck instantly with audiences.
The road to fame
Before his film career, Schwarzenegger made his name as a bodybuilder, a seven-time winner of the "Mr. Olympia" title (1970–1975, 1980). Born in the small Austrian town of Thal, he made an impressive climb to wealth and fame, embodying the classic "American dream."
At 14, Arnold took up bodybuilding, inspired by athletes such as Reg Park and the Soviet weightlifter Yuri Vlasov, whom he met in person in 1961. In 1968, Schwarzenegger moved to the United States, where he won his first "Mr. Olympia" title as early as 1970.
Landmark films before 1993
- "Conan the Barbarian" (1982)
- "The Terminator" (1984)
- "Commando" (1985)
- "Predator" (1987)
- "Twins" (1988)
- "Red Heat" (1988)
- "Total Recall" (1990)
- "Terminator 2" (1991)
- "Last Action Hero" (1993)
Popularity in Russia
In early-1990s Russia, after the fall of the "Iron Curtain," Western action films starring Schwarzenegger enjoyed an enormous surge of popularity. Videocassettes of his films circulated through networks of video salons, often with amateur single-voice dubbing. The image of a "tough guy" with bulging muscles single-handedly taking down an entire army of enemies resonated especially strongly with a society living through the collapse of old ideals and searching for new heroes.
In 1993, amid an acute political crisis in Russia, Schwarzenegger was one of the most recognizable Western actors among Russian audiences. His name was often mangled in casual speech (in the novel's text, spelled "Shvartsnegger"), reflecting the phonetic quirks of Russian and the difficulty of pronouncing foreign names.
Political career
Interestingly, Schwarzenegger would go on to build a successful political career, becoming the 38th Governor of California in 2003 and winning re-election to a second term in 2006. He became the first governor of the state born outside the United States since the 19th century.
His political views are characterized as centrist — Schwarzenegger is a Republican with liberal positions on a number of social issues. As governor, he was known for his environmental initiatives and efforts to cut government spending.
Fun fact: In 1993, when the novel is set, Schwarzenegger was filming director James Cameron's "True Lies," which was released in 1994. In it, he played a secret agent leading a double life, hiding his profession even from his own wife.