Clint Eastwood's breakout role was, of course, the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's 1964 Western classic "A Fistful of Dollars." At the time the movie was released, 17-year-old bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger who had just started a competitive career in his native Austria, far from both Hollywood and Spain's Tabernas Desert where Leone's seminal Western was shot. But the movie, and specifically Eastwood's movie star magnetism, made a big impression on the young Schwarzenegger, who throughout the illustrious career that followed his early bodybuilding days has praised the Hollywood veteran as one of his idols. The "Terminator" star even modeled his post-Governator acting career on Eastwood, telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2011:
"In the future I have to adapt my roles to my age. Clint Eastwood also has done it in the same way. Extreme fighting or shooting is not possible anymore. I want to be more encouraged as an actor and I believe that I can manage this challenge."
Though Schwarzenegger and his idol have never worked together on a film, the Austrian was, at one time, attached to star in Eastwood's failed 2021 awards contender "Cry Macho," which instead of being showered in accolades found new life on Netflix in 2023. Otherwise, the pair have maintained a non-professional relationship off-screen, with Arnie honoring Eastwood for his 93rd birthday in 2023, posting a photo of himself skiing with the screen legend to his Instagram. Schwarzenegger captioned the photo, "Happy birthday, Clint! You've inspired me, you've mentored me, and you're a wonderful friend. At 93, you prove that heroes don't retire -- they reload. You're a legend." Also, if you happen to be a fan of Eastwood's fascinating social media habit of plastering every picture with seals of authenticity, check out this low-res masterpiece from August 2024 of him and Schwarzenegger hanging out.
With all that in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising that Schwarzenegger's top films of all time include a Clint Eastwood classic, alongside a few entries that might surprise you.