subject: Arnold Schwarzenegger the Actor [print this page] After playing the killing-machine-villain in Terminator, Schwarzenegger's subsequent move to the role of hero necessitated changes in his image. In contrast to his former roles as an ultra-violent hero, Terminator 2 presented a killing machine who befriends the young-boy hero of the future and learns to become kinder and gentler (he no longer kills, only shoots people in the leg), helpfully destroying himself at the movies end in order to save the world. This shift was consolidated in Last Action Hero (1993), which was marketed at a young audience, and in which comedy and self-parody were as important as the violence. Despite its $70 million price-tag the moving picture failed to live up to its expectations, in part because Jurassic Park, which attracted a greater share of media and box-office attention. The movies failure shook Hollywood's confidence in Schwarzenegger, once considered box-office insurance for expensive motion pictures.
