Best Arnold Schwarzenegger Films and Performances Ranked

Austrian-born actor, producer, former bodybuilder, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the highest-grossing box office hits in history. With over 50 credits grossing more than $4 billion worldwide, Schwarzenegger is among the top 40 grossing stars of all time.

On the occasion of his 75th birthday diversity counts his 10 best film performances.

With a career that began playing a “special agent” who infiltrates a gym in Stay Hungry (1976) and was in the spotlight in the classic documentary Pumping Iron (1977), Schwarzenegger has become one of the most influential classic action stars his generation.

His breakthrough came with the epic adaptation Conan the Barbarian (1982), directed by John Milius and co-written by Oscar winner Oliver Stone. An instant box-office hit, he moved into the defining franchise of his career with The Terminator (1984), in which he played the villainous cyborg sent back in time to kill the mother of mankind, the savior John Connor. It spawned one of the best sequels of all time, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). This time, Schwarzenegger became young Connor’s (played by Edward Furlong) protector alongside an Oscar-worthy performance from Linda Hamilton.

Schwarzenegger was a dominant force in the ’80s and ’90s, with roles in Commando (1985), Predator (1987), Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Total Recall (1990 ) and True Lies (1994).

It received a few accolades, despite being considered “one-note” by film critics. Schwarzenegger was nominated for a Golden Globe for Lead Actor (Comedy) for his role as a pregnant man in Junior (1994) and won an Emmy for Executive Producing alongside longtime friend and collaborator James Cameron for the docuseries Years Living Dangerously. (2014).

Read diversity Ranked below and watch his best scene from each performance listed.

recognitions: “Conan the Barbarian” (1982); “Red Sonja” (1985); “Last Action Hero” (1993); Jingle All the Way (1996); Batman and Robin (1997)