Top 3 of Arnold Schwarzenegger's highest-paying roles

10X Growth Conference 2024 - Source: Getty
10X Growth Conference 2024 - Source: Getty

Seven times Mr Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger has lived a long and fulfilling life. Making a name for himself in the realm of bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger decided to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a Hollywood star. Schwarzenegger is often considered one of the best action stars of all time. Having acted in blockbusters like ‘Terminator’ and ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ Arnold’s current net worth is estimated to be around $450 million.

However, contrary to what most people might believe, Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t make his first million from bodybuilding or Hollywood. It was during his ventures with his best friend and training partner Franco Columbu that Schwarzenegger earned a whopping million dollars from his construction business.

Needless to say, his Hollywood ventures also earned him some pretty hefty paychecks. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of his highest-paying roles.


1. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Twins’

Released back in 1988, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito’s marvellous performance in Twins still resides rent-free in the hearts of many. While the director Ivan Reitman was very hesitant to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger in a comedy movie initially, Schwarzenegger’s persistence and clever thinking finally convinced Ivan Reitman.

Arnold Schwarzenegger came up with a master game plan to convince Ivan Reitman. He told him that he wasn’t expecting a hefty paycheck but wanted half ownership of the movie. This convinced Ivan that the profits, as well as losses that the movie generates, would be equally shared.

To everyone’s surprise, the movie performed incredibly well and earned Schwarzenegger a whopping $215 million.


2. Batman and Robin

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s second most-paid Hollywood movie will come as a shock to most of you. While Schwarzenegger remains one of the best action movie stars of all time, one of the movies that performed miserably at the box office was 1997’s Batman and Robin.

Directed by Joel Schumacher, Arnold Schwarzenegger played the role of Mr. Freeze in the movie and took home a massive paycheck of $30 million.

Talking about this, Schwarzenegger told ‘The Hollywood Reporter’:

"It was Batman & Robin where they gave me over $30 million. I became the highest-paid entertainer in the history of Hollywood," Schwarzenegger said.

3. Terminator

Released back in 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger is most remembered for his role in the popular movie franchise ‘Terminator.’ Released back in October 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger played the iconic role of T-800. Arnold Schwarzenegger was reported to earn $15 million for his role in ‘Terminator.’

Arnold Schwarzenegger still continues to win countless hearts with his phenomenal acting. Arnold Schwarzenegger fans are currently awaiting the release of the second season of his Netflix series ‘Fubar.’

What are your views on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting skills? Let us know in the comments.

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Edited by Ankush Das