The Terminator franchise put Arnold Schwarzenegger’s on the map and introduced us to his signature thick accent. It also made it clear that English probably isn’t his first language, but is German actually his mother tongue?
Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger can speak German, but that isn’t much of a surprise since he was born in Austria. German happens to be the official language in his home country, but the actor’s accent is considered to be too rural by their standards.
Schwarzenegger’s Austrian Roots
Arnold Schwarzenegger has strong ties to the United States, and he even served as the Governor of California for two terms, but he wasn’t actually born in this country. He comes from the small Austrian village of Thal, located near Graz – the country’s second largest city after Vienna.
It didn’t take long for the famous actor to realize that his village was too small for someone who likes dreaming big. He was only 10 years old when he started fantasizing about Hollywood fame, and decided to give bodybuilding a shot because he saw it as his “ticket to America”.
He moved to the US in 1968, and became a citizen in 1983. Only a year later, he established himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest action heroes, with the role in James Cameron’s cult classic The Terminator. The doors of Thal are still always open to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they even built a museum in his honor.
“The Terminator” Dubbing Issue
Since Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up in Austria, it goes without saying that he’s fluent in German, but not everyone would agree that his accent is top-notch. If you watch German version of the Terminator movies, someone else will be saying his famous catchphrase “Hasta la vista, baby”, because he wasn’t allowed to dub the movie.
Schwarzenegger may speak German, but he comes from a small village in Austria, and his accent is considered rural by German standards. He expressed a desire to dub his own lines, but producers felt it wouldn’t be the best idea because his accent would be too distracting, and they cast another actor whose tone was a better fit for the role of a killer robot from the future.
Schwarzenegger’s Signature Accent
One of the things that Arnold Schwarzenegger is best known for is his signature accent, but there was a time when it wasn’t seen as an advantage, but an obstacle. The actor was on the top of the world after scoring the titular role in Conan the Barbarian in 1982, but his voice was dubbed over in the original release.
Luckily, his voice was a better fit for the Terminator movies, because the role of futuristic robot gives you much more creative freedom. The entire world eventually fell in love with his quirky accent, and the actor admitted he still uses it to please the fans, despite the fact that his English sounds perfectly fine.
“It’s now become such a big part of me, the accent, that people really enjoy it. It proves that perception has changed. In the 1970s, people were frightened of the German accent. People said it gave them goosebumps. Now I have the most imitated accent. It’s a trademark,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
Other German-Speaking Stars
Arnold Schwarzenegger is far from being the only star in Hollywood who speaks German. Several actors from other European countries – such as Daniel Brühl and Diane Kruger – also come to mind, but the list of German-speaking stars includes some people you’d never expect.
The X-Men actor Michael Fassbender, who was born to a German father, speaks the language, but he still had to polish his skills for the role in Inglourious Basterds. Leonardo DiCaprio and Sandra Bullock also both have German family members who taught them the language, while Schwarzenegger’s The Expendables co-star Bruce Willis was born in Germany and spoke the language in his early years.