Arnold Schwarzenegger objected to one of the most famous lines of his career. In a new interview discussing his work and experiences, Schwarzenegger recalled an argument he had with James Cameron, the director of “Terminator,” over one of the film’s most iconic lines.
Schwarzenegger was discussing his career with his son Patrick, with the two paired together on Variety’s Actors on Actors. “I studied the script for a month, and I have someone that reads the parts with me, and we rehearse and we do reps,” he said, sharing a look at his acting method. “It’s from bodybuilding — reps, reps, reps. The more reps you do, the better you get.”
“It also comes from the old school. Billy Wilder, the Austrian director, always said, ‘I didn’t hire you to be interpreters. I hired you to be actors.’ The old directors were fanatics about ‘Study your dialogue and hit the mark,'” he continued.
© Getty ImagesThe movie’s most famous line could have been missing
Schwarzenegger then recalled his experience making the first “Terminator” movie, and what he thought of Jim Cameron’s now iconic line: “I’ll be back.”
“He says, ‘What do you mean you don’t like the line?’ I said, ‘It’s just weird for a German to say, “I’ll be back.” Why not just say, “I will be back”?'” said Schwarzenegger.
© Tri-Star PicturesSchwarzenegger shared that Cameron didn’t love the comment. “Oh, you’re trying to tell me how to be a better writer? Because I’m not telling you to be a better actor. Just say, ‘I’ll be back.’ If you want me to do 10 takes because you feel insecure about it, we can do that. But don’t change my writing,” said Cameron.
“Of course, the line stayed, and has been quoted endlessly ever since,” concluded Schwarzenegger, admitting that he was wrong all along.
You can check out their full chat in full below.
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