Arnold Schwarzenegger is undoubtedly one of Hollywood's biggest action stars, who made millions with cult classics like The Terminator series and Predator, but his highest payout for a Hollywood project didn't come from any of these two movies.

In June 2025, Arnold graced the Watch What Happens Live talk show, where host Andy Cohen asked him which film paid him the most. Given Schwarzenegger's action hero image, many might think that one of his action films, like The Terminator, earned him the most money.

But Arnold responded, “Well, number one was Twins because we got no money for the salary, but ownership with a piece of the back end. It was fantastic. We went all the way to the bank with that.”

Cohen was curious about how much he banked from that film. He predicted till $40 million, but Schwarzenegger answered, “It was more than that. It was more than any movie I ever made.”

Well, the 7x Mr. Olympia may have refrained from revealing the exact amount, but earning more than $40 million is staggering even in today's date, and Arnold made a good bet considering that nobody wanted to make that movie.

Schwarzenegger revealed the process of his whopping income from Twins, stating, “So I said, ‘Why don’t we all three take no money?’ If we do not take any salaries, we can shoot the movie for $16.5 million. We worked out a deal where we got 40 percent of the back end of the movie. It happened to be the best deal we have ever made."

So when the discussion is about Schwarzenegger's highest-paying movie, let's take a look at which Terminator series movie boosted his bank balance the most.

Which Terminator Movie Paid Arnold Schwarzenegger the Most?

The 7x Mr. Olympia winner was desperate to make it big in Hollywood following his bodybuilding career, and The Terminator series was the one that took his stardom to the roof.

While Schwarzenegger made different amounts for the movies inThe Terminator series, he made the most for Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines, which stands at an estimated $29.25 million, including roughly 20 percent of the movie’s profits (via The Guardian).

So, while Twins earned Schwarzenegger his heftiest Hollywood paycheque, The Terminator remains synonymous with his Hollywood career. Many still know him as The Terminator, without even knowing his real name.

Which was the first Schwarzenegger movie you watched? Any special memories?

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Souvik Roy