Being an action star can be hazardous work! Schwarzenegger had a near-death experience while filming the movie “True Lies.” In a scene where he is riding a horse, the creature is startled by the film equipment and backed up near a steep drop (estimated to be about 90 feet down), almost throwing the actor off the edge!
Thankfully, Schwarzenegger was able to get off just in time before he fell. Arnold managed to slip off the horse in time, and his stunt man Billy D. Lucas pulled him to safety. There was another scene in which Arnold nearly drowned, and once again Lucas managed to spot what was happening behind the scenes and once again saved the day.
The Roles He Refused
Though he is without question a household name today, Schwarzenegger turned down a handful of roles, some of them very well-known. He dismissed the idea of being Animal Mother in "Full Metal Jacket," John McLane in "Die Hard," and even Kyle Reese in "The Terminator."
He also made his own creative choices in turning down appearances in both the "Commando" and "Predator" sequels. And what role does he regret turning down might you ask? The offer to be in "The Count of Monte Cristo." Arnie allegedly turned down this action role in favor of taking a role in “Sweet Tooth.”
His Own (Stunt) Man
It may come as no surprise that Schwarzenegger has done many of his stunts for his films, given his physicality and dedication to his roles. But one of the primary reasons he ended up getting his hands dirty was because few stuntmen were as prominent as he was!
And when he did find a stunt double who could take the job, he kept them around. Billy D. Lucas, Peter Kent, and Joel Kramer became his regulars and friends off the set. Kent later opened up in an interview with I News, sharing how tough and gruesome the filming of “Terminator 2” was and how he just feels lucky to be alive despite all the danger while making that movie.
So You Think You Can Dance?
There is no such thing as ‘tough men don’t dance’. While we reference his film, "True Lies," it is true that, for the role, Schwarzenegger agreed to acquire an exceptional skill. He decided to take dancing lessons (specifically Tango) for a scene in the film and rehearsed for six months.
But it doesn’t end there with the dancing. Apparently, Arnie loves dancing in real life too. You have probably noticed the pics or footage of Schwarzenegger with Sylvester Stallone performing the Waltz at the Cannes Film Festival on multiple occasions. It seems like he is so devoted to acting, there's nothing Schwarzenegger won’t do.
Constant Dedication
Seeing as Arnie is one of Hollywood’s action movie legends, he is naturally going to be using a bunch of guns and swords for most of these roles. He also seems to have been very committed to all of his roles, no matter what was required. Acting with these heavy-weight weapons is no mean feat, but that didn’t stop him.
For "The Terminator," the actor made sure he was well-familiarized with weapons. He spent a month making sure he knew how to use them so that, when he was around the props, he was as natural and machine-like as, well, the machine he was playing.