James Cameron is known for being a master director of high-concept films, but what some don’t know is he's a major adventurer, who has embarked on some crazy excursions all over the world. He's a professional diver and has taken several trips to the Titanic wreckage, solidifying himself as a master of deep sea exploration. On one of his adventures to the Amazon, the Aliens helmer brought Arnold Schwarzenegger with him, and it ended up being a wild trip that involved fan chanting and a "monster" snake.
The Terminator's leading man recently participated in a conversation at the Academy Museum David Geffen Theater, where the action star was asked about his journey with James Cameron. Arnold Schwarzenegger was excited to talk about the memorable adventure and some of the crazy circumstances they were became embroiled in. The former bodybuilder revealed that he and the filmmaker were once in Brazil, where they both gave speeches at a conference. Eventually, Cameron convinced the star to travel with him to a remote village. Before the trip, the director warned him the A-lister of one thing (and it wasn't the aforementioned snake):
As we were approaching this tribe in Amazon that he knew, he says, 'Arnold, I just want you to know not to get your ego bruised because no one is gonna know who you are, that I can promise you.' I said, 'Well, thank you for warning me, but trust me, it's not gonna bruise my ego, don't worry about it.'
Not wanting to presume his own fame, the big-screen titan was very content with being an unknown in the rainforest. However, it turns out the Predator actor was internationally known, even in the most secluded areas of the world. He detailed:
We land there, we get out of the plane and within a minute people were chanting: 'Arnold, Arnold, Arnold, Arnold!' And then they took me to a hut where they had actually a poster of mine inside that hut. As I was looking at this poster, this huge snake dropped down from the tree that almost killed us. I mean, a monster snake just dropped down and a wild boar was running around, and it was all these animals there. It was just crazy. But I mean, Jim Cameron was like freaking out. He says, 'Well, I guess I was wrong for the first time in my life.' You know, Jim has a big ego, but in any case, that was really funny.
That is crazy. I’m sure there are many frightful critters deep in the Amazon, but to be met with a massive snake so soon must've been terrifying, even for James Cameron. The Avatar director is famously confident, (which has earned himself a “difficult” reputation). The filmmaker has claimed to become nicer over the years, but the assertion above was a very on brand response for him at the time. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger, nevertheless, have always had a great partnership, and the former California governor went on to give Cameron some serious credit for his impact on his career:
It was some of his movies that they saw, and I was in his movies, but no one expected them because there was no television set there. So we don't know really how they get their information and how they got to see those movies or anything like that. So I was very happy to be that recognized all over the world.
It’s no surprise that the Last Action Hero alum was recognized immediately. The actor's fame grew over the course of the '80s and '90s, and he became one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He began as a bodybuilder, and it was his physique that helped him land the titular role in James Cameron's Terminator. They made another T2, on which they had a creative spat, and the beloved action comedy True Lies. These films, and other franchise participation catapulted him into superstardom. And of course, influence was so great that he was able to parlay it into a successful run governor of California.
The now-75-year-old actor has certainly had an eventful career, much of which is covered in the new docuseries Arnold. There are plenty of intriguing anecdotes throughout the production, but few can arguably top this Amazon tale. It's cool that fans recognized the star, though I'm just happy that he and his collaborator managed to evade that snake.
Fans of the action star can stream Arnold now with a Netflix subscription, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day can be streamed on the same platform. In addition, you can do yourself a favor by reading up on thee best Arnold Schwarzenegger films.
