"You will never be an action star": Arnold Schwarzenegger Made Fun of Bruce Willis' Toothpick Arms in Public

byLaxmi RajputJuly 24, 2023, 6:06 am

Starting his career with the 1954 TV series Moonlighting, Bruce Willis continued with dramatic and comedic roles during the initial years of his career in Hollywood. So when he was offered the lead role in John McTiernan’s action thriller Die Hard, it came as a surprise to many. The filmmaker was initially looking for a well-built actor like Frank Sinatra for the movie. However, he politely turned down the offer. The other actors on the list included other popular action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Johnson, Harrison Ford, and many others.

After all top action stars at the time refused to star in the movie, Willis was suggested to portray the lead character in the movie. However, one of the actors who earlier rejected the offer publicly rossed the Die Hard star, claiming that he would never be an action star.

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After Frank Sinatra, John McTiernan proposed the movie to one of the biggest action stars at the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, after constantly starring in action movies, he wanted to try something new and declined the offer for his 1988 film Twins.

After going through several actors, Die Hard eventually came to Bruce Willis. Although the Predator star declined the offer, he later shared some not-so-pleasant words for the retired actor. Author Nick de Semlyen revealed in his book The Last Action Heroes that after the film’s premiere,

Schwarzenegger told The Expendables star that he would never be an action star. “Know why you’ll never be an action star?” the Predator star asked Willis in a restaurant. Sitting on the other side of the restaurant, Willis asked him why he thinks so, to which Schwarzenegger replied, “Toothpick arms,” as he pointed to his biceps.

Contrary to his expectations, the 1988 action thriller was not only a turning point for Willis’ career but also for action movies. His approach toward his character felt more vulnerable and human to the audience instead of the muscled-up action heroes, who seemed invincible to anyone.

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While Arnold Schwarzenegger said that Bruce Willis would never become an action star, he has also admitted that he is one of the great actors in Hollywood. Over the years, the two have become good friends and even starred in The Expendables franchise together.

Talking about his friend and co-star, Schwarzenegger said during an interview that the Unbreakable star has always been one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and will always be remembered as a “great actor.” The 68-year-old actor announced his retirement in March 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia.

The Commando actor has said that he understands Willis’ “circumstances, health-wise.” However, he also said that the action heroes never retire. “Action heroes, they reload,” Schwarzenegger said as he called the Die Hard star a fantastic actor.

Die Hard franchise is available on Hulu.

Read More: “It’s one of the crappiest movies ever made”: Bruce Willis’ Biggest Regret is this Tom Hanks $15M Movie Which was Humiliated at the Box Office

Source: The Last Action Heroes

Arnold SchwarzeneggerBruce Willis

Laxmi Rajput is a writer at Fandomwire. She finished her Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism and worked as a Business News writer for a year. But her interest in entertainment and pop culture compelled her to find a way towards Entertainment Journalism. She has worked across various fields and has 2 years of experience in content writing. She likes reading, music, movies, and traveling. She aspires to become a fiction writer in the future.