The legendary actor Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to make a breathrough into Hollywood back in the day. His then-partner Maria Shriver was a woman with a plan. The star’s transition from bodybuilding to movies was a huge jump, but with Shriver with him, he could focus on his goals without straying away. In their early days of courtship, the journalist was already helping Schwarzenegger aim for the moon.
In his book, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, Schwarzenegger revealed the details of his career and journey through stardom. Amidst this, his relationship with Shriver blossomed as he rose to prominence in Hollywood.
He recalled his now ex-wife’s reality check. Getting popular as a bodybuilder in the 70s and 80s meant fame, fandom, and loads of fun pictures. Schwarzenegger would often partake in such photoshoots, while even providing ideas of his own. In one such shoot in 1978, about six months after he had just met Shriver, the bodybuilder was preparing for a saucy time at the studio.
The photo session was for Playgirl magazine and aimed at highlighting his German roots in a fun way. Schwarzenegger’s photographer friend sat down to brainstorm with him. His idea was to get a traditional German beer hall, but instead of having stout old women serving beer and snacks, he wanted something else. Since the magazine popularly featured suggestive images, he thought of getting a group of young bare-chested women.
While the photographer loved the idea, Shriver had her doubts. She questioned the purpose of the shoot. What was Arnie trying to convey? And most importantly, would this shoot eventually lead to producers approaching the bodybuilder for roles?
She remarked, “I thought you wanted to go into movies. So, if you pose with those girls with their t**s hanging out, is that going make producers say, ‘Hey, wow! I want this guy’? I doubt it”. Arnie agreed and the concept was modified. However, this wasn’t the only eye-popping shoot that the bodybuilder did.
