Arnold Schwarzenegger: The terminator meets the scorpion king

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Somebody had to do it. When it came time to match Arnold Schwarzenegger with an interviewer, there was only one choice: The Rock. Both came to acting from athletics-bodybuilding and professional wrestling--and began their film careers in loincloths starring in heroic period epics. Both have combined their brawny roles with a comedic edge and a talent for the one-liner. Currently at work on his 28th film, the hotly anticipated Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (due for release next summer), Schwarzenegger was pleased to talk to his friend and colleague, and more than happy to dispense some words of wisdom to a fellow action hero.

THE ROCK: Arnold?

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: Good morning, Rock! How are you?

TR: I'm doing great. How are you doing?

AS: Fantastic, I'm on my way to work. It's my last month of shooting on Terminator 3. This is the homestretch and everybody is going all out to make sure there's no stone unturned.

TR: Or no rock unturned.

AS: [laughs] Exactly, no rock unturned.

TR: I promise to make this easy and painless. First question: Tell me about living in L.A.--what you love about it and what you hate about it.

AS: First of all, I moved to Los Angeles because it represented the best of both of the worlds that I was interested in. My main goal as a kid was to be a bodybuilding champion, and L.A. was the Mecca of bodybuilding--Muscle Beach and all the best gymnasiums were here in southern California. My second goal was to get into movies, and Hollywood is the Mecca for moviemaking. I enjoy the city tremendously because it's very diversified. It has many, many different industries, wonderful restaurants, fantastic weather, and on the same day, you can go out boating, you can be in the desert riding a dune buggy, or you can go skiing. And they have great sports events here, from professional wrestling to Lakers games. What I hate about Los Angeles is that it is very fragmented--it's spread out over 40 or 50 miles--so you have to drive a lot. Like right now, I'm on a freeway, stuck bumper-to-bumper, going to location. So I would say the traffic and the fact that it's so spread out are the two things I don't like about Lo s Angeles.

TR: I couldn't agree with you more. There's nothing like being the only one in the car, and just saying, "Fuck it!" and getting in the diamond lane. [both laugh] Next question: I was always interested to know, of all of the movies you've done, what's your favorite, and why?

AS: Hmm. I couldn't really pinpoint it. One movie could be a favorite because I had a fun time doing it, and another could be a favorite because it came out the best. Both of the Terminators [1984 and '91] were extraordinary successes and also looked fantastic, but I didn't have the most fun doing those movies. They were a huge grind: a lot of action, preparation, being in harnesses, five-hour makeup jobs and a lot of night shooting. But then when I saw the movies, I said, "These are the greatest movies I've done." On the other hand, you have a movie like Twins [1988], where I had a tremendous amount of fun and, at the same time, enjoyed what we ended up with-and everyone else did, too. Or Kindergarten Cop [1990]. [laughs] So, to answer your question, I think I enjoyed making Twins the most, and also the most as far as the way it looked.

TR: With that one you were able to show your diversity and your comedic timing. I'm such a big fan of comedy and you did a great job.

AS: Well thank you very much.

TR: Really, Arnold, you've done such a tremendous job over the years of balancing your career, family and finding time for yourself as well. What's been the key in trying to strike a balance in your life?

AS: You've got to prioritize. The most important priority should always be your family. I think as soon as you lose sight of that, you have a chance of getting into trouble. For me, family is my foundation--if I know that I'm spending enough time with my children and with my wife, then I feel like I can conquer the world. I can go out and kick some butt and make movies, or help promote an after-school initiative through my Inner-City Gangs Foundation, or work with the Special Olympics. And then the next most important thing is scheduling. If you're an organized person who is willing to delegate certain things, you have a better chance to get things done than if you try to do everything yourself. You've got to be able to trust the people you have around you.

TR: Absolutely. Last question: I only ask this because I thought it'd be interesting to hear, because everybody compares us, which is, of course, a fantastic compliment for me. [laughs] If there are one or two pieces of advice you could give me, or three, [laughs] what would that advice be?

AS: When it comes to advice--and I could give a lot of advice--I think the number one thing is, always pay attention to the script and to the story. Never do a movie for money. I have done movies where I've gotten extraordinary amounts of money and I've also done movies for next to nothing. Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Junior [1994]--those are movies that I've done for very little salary, where I only got a back end, and I actually made more money with those movies because they ended up being successful and I had a piece of the action. Think about that. My number two piece of advice is to always be hungry. Being hungry, in this case, means never stop learning. Say you go to New York and you have a day off: Find an acting coach and work with him. It can bring something out of you that you had not known about yourself, and that no director knows about you. It may be a new skill, a new style of acting, a new way of doing things on the screen. Always be hungry for learning. The mind is like a sponge: It will absorb. I know you're a very hungry guy already, because otherwise you wouldn't reach over into acting and start from the beginning; that is the real definition of a hungry man--someone who wants to do something different and have a career change in the middle of it all, at their height. So stay that way. And before I finish, I just want to say, the reason why I am such a big supporter of yours is because you are very talented. You're a natural actor, you're a natural athlete and on top of that, you're a kind human being, which is rare to come by, especially in this town. Stay like that and you will have the world at your feet.

TR: Arnold, I really can't thank you enough for everything. Especially the very kind words, I really, really appreciate them. It's ironic you bring up the word "hungry," because one of my favorite quotes has always been "Once you've really been hungry, you'll never be full." I certainly carry that with me, as I know you do. I'll tell you, I can't wait for Terminator 3. It's going to kick ass, my man.

AS: [laughs] It was a pleasure talking with you. We'll catch up when you come out to L.A., OK?

TR: Take care of yourself, Arnold. Bye.

The Rock last starred in The Scorpion King.

First-time interviewer The Flock has found an unexpected friend in actor and idol Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Since I started making movies, Arnold has been one of my biggest supporters, and with his career, he certainly didn't have to be." His wrestling career on hold, The Rock will next star as a bounty hunter in Helldorado, currently shooting in Hawaii.

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