Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator catapulted Arnold Schwarzenegger to global stardom, but the Hollywood icon shared how the movies had different impacts on his career.

Last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son Patrick sat down together for Variety’s Actors on Actors interview. The father and son duo talked about their respective careers and family dynamics, and exchanged some advice. During their conversation, the younger Schwarzenegger reflected on the differences between Arnold's breakthrough experience with Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator.

"Conan" was a big breakthrough internationally. Terminator was a big breakthrough by wearing clothes versus just relying on the muscles and stuff like that."

Conan the Barbarian shot Schwarzenegger to fame, as the role heavily emphasized his physique and bodybuilding image. But The Terminator had Schwarzenegger dress in regular clothes instead of fighting shirtless. This movie proved that Schwarzenegger succeeded in movies because of his screen presence, acting, and character, not just because of his muscular body.

Although the projects were way different, Arnold Schwarzenegger also noted that both opportunities offered the chance to work alongside visionary filmmakers.

For Arnie, one of those filmmakers was James Cameron. The 78-year-old noted that working with exceptional directors is one of the biggest reasons for his success. Looking back, he said that they pushed his career forward.

"I have always been a fanatic about working with great directors," Arnold said.

During his glorious career, the actor has collaborated with legendary filmmakers including Bob Rafelson, John Milius, James Cameron, John McTiernan, Ivan Reitman, and Paul Verhoeven. He admitted that each played a crucial role in shaping his evolution as a performer.

Patrick Schwarzenegger echoed that sentiment when discussing director Mike White's impact on him while filming The White Lotus. For his dad, the hope is that just as James Cameron helped elevate the trajectory of his career, Mike White would have the same impact on Patrick's. In fact, he couldn't resist giving his opinion on his son's performance.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Take on Patrick’s Performance

During their discussion, Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his two cents on his son's performance on The White Lotus. He praised Patrick Schwarzenegger for his work, admitting that he was ‘blown away’ by his son’s performance. He even said that he was a big fan of the show after watching Season three.

“It’s a fantastic show. And you acting surprised the hell out of me. Not that I didn’t know that you’re good, because you’ve shown that in the last 10 years. But it was just unbelievable the kind of stuff that you did in the show, and there were things that I didn’t recognize you.”

The White Lotus Season 3 premiered on HBO on February 16, 2025. The series was an instant hit, just like its previous seasons, garnering positive responses from critics and audiences alike. Patrick Schwarzenegger also received praise for playing Saxon Ratliff, The White Lotus trademark-rich jerk who no one is supposed to root for.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil