Arnold Schwarzenegger Is 78: Look Back on His Career

Arnold Schwarzenegger played many roles throughout his impressive career. Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria in July 1947 as the son of a police officer. In 1968, the body builder  moved to the United States to train at Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles. Throughout his impressive bodybuilding career, he won seven first-place titles at the Mr. Olympia competition. As Schwarzenegger grew more prominent in the athletic community, he felt the desire to transition into acting. He booked his first movie role as the titular character in the 1970 film Hercules in New York. After gaining critical acclaim with 1976's Stay Hungry, Schwarzenegger cemented himself as a movie superstar, especially in the action genre. Schwarzenegger also had a high-profile romance with Maria Shriver. The pair tied the knot in 1986 and welcomed four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1997, respectively. Schwarzenegger and Shriver called it quits after nearly 25 years of marriage in 2011 after she learned he had an affair with their family’s former housekeeper, Mildred “Patty” Baena, in 1997 and fathered a child, son Joseph Baena. Keep scrolling to see Schwarzenegger throughout the years:

Schwarzenegger began his official bodybuilding career at 17 despite starting his training three years before. He won his first Junior Mr. Europe contest the following year.

The Austria native began his film career by playing the titular character in the movie Hercules in New York which he went by the stage name "Arnold Strong.”

The athlete won his first Golden Globe for his role as Joe Santo in Stay Hungry.

The weightlifter began his infamous rivalry with Sylvester Stallone as the duo began to rise to fame as action stars.

Schwarzenegger became a household name after his breakout role in Conan the Barbarian.

The Pumping Iron star became a naturalized U.S. citizen in September. Before gaining American citizenship, he asked the Austrian authorities for the right to have dual citizenship since his home country does not usually offer that but the government made an exception for the actor.

The Conan the Destroyer actor made his first appearance as The Terminator in Cameron’s iconic sci-fi film. He would go on the play the titular character in several sequels including Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019).

Schwarzenegger tied the knot with Shriver in Massachusetts. The pair share four children, Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Chistopher.

Along with acting in a series of action movies, the Kindergarten Cop star dabbled in directing. He directed two projects: a 1990 episode of the TV series Tales from the Crypt and the 1992 made for TV movie Christmas in Connecticut.

He earned his second Golden Globe nomination for his role in Junior but lost to Hugh Grant.

While Schwarzenegger was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, he chose to have a replacement heart valve made from his own pulmonic valve and underwent a procedure to have it corrected.

The Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines star was elected as Governor of California following the recall election that ousted Davis. As he pursued his political ambitions, he briefly retired from acting. Schwarzenegger went on to serve two terms as the head of state from 2003 to 2011.

Shriver and the Commando actor called it quits after 25 years of marriage after the journalist found out that her then-husband had an affair and fathered a child, Joseph, with their former maid more than decade prior.

The former politician made his return to the big screen in The Expendables 2 which also starred Stallone.

More than a decade after his initial surgery, the Predator star underwent heart surgery to have the pulmonic valve replaced.

The Expendables 3 star got his first leading role in a scripted live-action TV series, titled Fubar, which he also produced.

Schwarzenegger reunited with his Twins costar Danny Devito to present at the Oscars.

The actor supported Patrick at the premiere for The White Lotus season 3.