Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
Schwarzenegger began lifting weights at the age of 15 and won the Mr. Universe title at age 20, and subsequently the Mr. Olympia title seven times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, and has written many books and articles about the sport. The Arnold Sports Festival, named after him, is considered the second-most important bodybuilding event after Mr. Olympia.
He achieved worldwide fame as a Hollywood action star, with his breakthrough role in the epic film Conan the Barbarian (1982). He played the title character in The Terminator (1984) and starred in several sequels. His other successful films include Commando (1985), The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990), and True Lies (1994). He also showed his comedic talent in movies such as Twins (1988) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).
Schwarzenegger returned to acting after completing his term as governor. He was nicknamed "The Austrian Oak" during his bodybuilding days, "Arnie" or "Schwarzy" during his acting career, and "The Governator" during his political career. He married Maria Shriver in 1986, and they separated in 2011. He admitted to fathering a child with their housemaid in 1997; their divorce was finalized in 2021.