He’s Baaack

A couple years back I got briefly up close and personal with then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at an event at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and in framing a question about what he might do after leaving office, told him the story of Gov. Ronald Reagan’s appearance on the Tonight Show in 1973.  Carson asked Reagan if he might return to Hollywood to make movies after leaving the governorship.  Reagan displayed his quickness with the reply, “Oh, no—I’m much too old to take off all my clothes!”

But not the Governator!  His reply to me was, “Well, I might go back to making films. I’m not too old to take off all my clothes!”

The Wall Street Journal reports today that indeed Arnold has a whole slew of new movies in the works, including a new Terminator film (maybe he could succeed in terminating California’s public employee unions—hey, these movies are fantasies after all), a sequel to Twins, The Expendables 2, and a couple of titles that sound almost age-appropriate for the aging muscleman.  No word on whether he gets nekkid in any of them.  (For the record: Let’s hope not.)

In the middle of the story is this enjoyable vignette:

These days, when Mr. Schwarzenegger promotes a film, such as when he participated in a Comic-Con International panel with his “The Expendables 2” co-stars including Sylvester Stallone and Randy Couture, his handlers still prep him as they would have in office, quietly slipping him note cards to review backstage.

He doesn’t always follow the script. Introducing a screening of “The Expendables 2” at Camp Pendleton, he strode onto the stage of the auditorium and grabbed the microphone.  “It is wonderful to be back,” said Mr. Schwarzenegger, outfitted in two-tone brown saddle shoes and a white, short-sleeved oxford shirt. “And I’ll tell you, I’m very impressed with the security here. The security is almost as tight”—he paused for effect—”as Nancy Pelosi’s face.”

An audience of military families roared with laughter. Backstage, an aide muttered, “That wasn’t pre-screened.”

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