While nothing was expected of it at the time, Star Wars went on to be a big success when it first released in 1977, spawning one of the largest media empires ever created. After three movies as Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill had accomplished what many actors set out to do. It should be no wonder that a fresh-faced Arnold Schwarzenegger turned to Hamill for advice on how to make it as an actor. Well, Hamill must have been off his game that day, because he gave Schwarzenegger advice which he admits was terrible for him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger asked me for advice when he was just starting out. I told him to lose his accent for a wider range of roles & to change his last name since no one could pronounce it. He did the opposite & became one of the biggest stars EVER.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for a lot of things (let's not forget his tenure as Governor), but perhaps most prominently for his iconic accent and an impossible to spell last name. There are an unlimited amount of actors who can do accents and disguise their real voice, something Schwarzenegger has pretty much never done -- regardless of his characters throughout the years. Conversely, his voice and name became his brand and he became one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. If he had listened to Mark Hamill, things might have turned out very differently.
Over on Twitter, Mark Hamill recalled how Arnold Schwarzenegger had asked for acting advice early in his career. Hamill doesn't give any dates, but Schwarzenegger's first starring role was Conan the Barbarian in 1982, one year before the release of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, so we are probably somewhere in the late-seventies to early-eighties. Hamill suggested that Schwarzenegger ditch his accent and name, thinking that no one would hire a guy whose name they couldn't spell. Hamill wasn't entirely wrong in thinking this, as lots of actors adapt stage names for their career. But those aspects of his personality set Schwarzenegger apart, and coupled with his massive build, he eventually became one of the greatest action stars ever. You could even argue his career eclipsed Hamill's for a time.
Plus, can you imagine trying to say one of Schwarzenegger's catchphrases without his accent? Try saying "I'll be back" as a regular person. It's impossible.
After decades in the business, Schwarzenegger is still going strong. His next major movie is Terminator 6, in which he will reprise his iconic killer robot. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on November 22, 2019. For more movies heading to theaters this year, check out our 2018 movie release guide.
