There are countless things that people associate with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's the Austrian bodybuilder who went on to have an incredible career in Hollywood. He's the action star known for topping the box office in films like James Cameron's Terminator franchise, The Running Man, The 6th Day, Twins, Commando, The Expendables, Predator, Conan the Barbarian, Total Recall, True Lies, Kindergarten Cop, Last Action Hero, Eraser, and even campy Christmas film Jingle All the Way. He was even the Governor of California (who could forget his iconic nickname, the Governator). But potentially one of his most interesting acting roles throughout his legendary career is easily one of the most unexpected. Even more so than giving birth to a baby in Junior. In the late 70s, he starred in a western film opposite two major actors — Kirk Douglas and Ann Margaret.
When Schwarzenegger appeared in The Villain, it was still fairly early in his acting career. He was still transitioning to the screen instead of pumping iron, officially putting bodybuilding competitions and his Mr. Universe title behind him. It was after his big debut playing Hercules in Hercules in New York as well as appearances in The Long Goodbye and Stay Hungry. It's easily the movie where he most likely first discovered that he had comedy chops, making him a much more versatile actor than Hollywood might have initially realized.
The Villain was a campy western comedy, directed by Hal Needham, known for Smokey and the Bandit. Schwarzenegger played the "Handsome Stranger" who was escorting "Charming Jones" (Ann-Margret) across the Wild West. "Cactus Jack" (Kirk Douglas) is hired to rob the duo when they leave town to claim all of the money that Charming just inherited from her late father. Cactus Jack attempts various times to take them over but continually fails. Kind of like Charming fails to win the Handsome Stranger's attention. The movie is definitely absurd and the ending gives off some looney tunes vibes, but it's almost worth it just seeing this random group of actors together on screen.
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Schwarzenegger has come a long way from training at his local gym in Austria as a young teenager. Raised in a strict household with a father who was the chief of police, it's no wonder that the Austrian-American used that discipline to create an incredible career for himself. Fun fact, even amidst life as a professional bodybuilder and pursuing an acting career, Schwarzenegger managed to obtain a degree from the University of Wisconsin prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. Arnold Schwarzenegger's net worth is really a testament to all of his hard work over the years, coming in at a whopping $400 million.
Outside of work, the former Republican Governor has 4 children with his ex-wife Maria Shriver (yes, she's related to the late John F. Kennedy) — Christina, Patrick, Katherine, and Christopher. They grew up in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. He has one additional son, Joseph, whom he fathered with the family's housekeeper, Patricia Baena.
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