Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed that his famous role of the Terminator almost went to O.J. Simpson. Unfortunately for Simpson, producers felt that he couldn’t sell him as a “killing machine.”
This was all unveiled in a new Netflix docuseries about the actor. “Arnold,” which premiered Wednesday, takes a look at Schwarzenegger’s life as an actor and politician. There is a moment in the series where he is joined by The Terminator director James Cameron. The two discussed the cultural impact of the film in the 70’s.
Cameron revealed that originally, Simpson was supposed to play the iconic role and Schwarzenegger was to play Kyle Reese, a resistance fighter. “I had been told by Mike Medavoy that the movie was all cast. ‘I got this all worked out. O.J. Simpson and Arnold Schwarzenegger,’” Cameron recalled. “I said, ‘Well, which is which?’ Those two names just sounded so wrong to me.”
Cameron also recalled how stunning of a face Schwarzenegger, further pushing him to be the star of the movie as opposed to Simpson. He then had to convince Schwarzenegger to play the character although he did not want to play the villain.
“I thought for three days, then I called him back and I said, ‘Every time I reread it I visualize myself more and more playing Terminator.’ I told him I’m in and then we started prepping.”