Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed how his mother once “freaked out” at the thought that he might be gay because he had pictures of oiled up bodybuilders on his bedroom wall as a teen.
The Terminator star, 75, shared in his upcoming Netflix documentary Arnold that his parents were against his dreams of becoming a bodybuilder when he was growing up.
Arnold recalled growing up in his small town in Thal, Austria, when his life path took shape after watching famed bodybuilder Reg Park play Hercules in a series of films in the 1960s.
“I was so amazed at this body, I just couldn’t get it out of my head,” the Twins star explained. “The testosterone started working, interest in girls started working, everything started happening.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger says his mother wondered if he was attracted to men because he used to have pictures of bodybuilders on his bedroom wall
The 75-year-old became obsessed with famed bodybuilder Reg Park when he saw British star Hercules play in a series of films in the 1960s.
The impressionable young teen then began buying American muscle magazines, including Reg Park’s workout program.
Reg was an English bodybuilder and actor who became Mr. Britain was mentioned. He then won the Mr. Universe in 1951, 1958 and 1965, while also starring in five films, four of which he starred as Hercules.
Arnold soon began training like a British fitness star, explaining, “This man is my idol. He was my blueprint in where I wanted to go in life.’
To stay motivated, he hung several posters and photos of Reg and other famous bodybuilders of the era, such as Chet Yorton and Frank Zane, on his wall.
This worried his mother, who soon began to fear that her son was not attracted to women.
“My mother panicked. She said, “All his friends have girls over their beds. My son doesn’t have a single girl here. Look. It’s just naked men, rubbed up. Where did it go wrong?” Arnold laughed at the memory.
Elsewhere, his extremely strict and traditional father was also unimpressed with his son’s obsession with weightlifting, saying it wasn’t “normal.”
Arnold recalled, “My dad was like, ‘You look in the mirror when you work out, what’s that all about? You’re too preoccupied with yourself… If you want to use your muscles, go chop wood.’
The impressionable young teen began buying American muscle magazines including Reg Park’s workout program while pursuing a weightlifting career
Arnold defeated Reg in 1970 at the NABBA Mr Universe professional match in London (pictured)
Arnold had several posters and photos of Reg and other famous coachbuilders around the time, such as Frank Zane (pictured) on his wall
Meanwhile, during an interview in 2012, Arnold also remembers the moment when his mother actually called the doctor to ask if there was something wrong with her child.
He claimed she said, “Is something wrong? Is my son turning south here? All his friends have girls on the wall and he only has men who are smeared in panties.’
However, the teen at the time just wanted to find a way to make it to America and he believed that building his body was the way to achieve that dream.
The star famously found success as a bodybuilder, so much so that he actually defeated Reg in 1970 at the NABBA Mr Universe professional contest in London.
The True Lies star, 75, was raised by his military father, Gustav – a wartime Nazi Party official, and his “cleanliness fanatic” mother, Aurelia.
The Hollywood icon rose to fame and became one of the most successful bodybuilders in the world (photo 1985)
In the first episode of the documentary, the Hollywood icon talked about what it was really like for him and his late brother to grow up as the son of a decorated Nazi soldier, who returned to Austria a broken man from war and moved on. to Austria. unleash abuse on his family.
Our upbringing was very tough. The brutality that would be at home, the beatings we sometimes received from our parents,” said the Stay Hungry star.
The documentary is one of several projects Schwarzenegger has worked on the streamer as he also stars on the show Fubar.
Arnold can be streamed on Netflix from Wednesday, June 7.
