Martial artist Jackie Chan once doubted one of the most iconic roles by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The legendary Hong Kong native added diversity through Asian representation in Hollywood back in the 1980s. That was certainly a decade of bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts taking over the industry, with a massive fan following around the globe.

While actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were already comfortable with movies of the West, Chan certainly had to manage the change over time. Today, he may do his roles in Chinese as well as Hollywood movies with ease, but the change in movie styles came as a challenge at the beginning. Perhaps that led him to have a rather bold opinion of The Predator actor’s best role.

What did Jackie Chan say about Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator franchise?

We cannot imagine The Terminator without Arnold Schwarzenegger, and may not have recognized him without his role in the movie. But Jackie Chan once felt that the Austrian actor did not do anything special. In a 1996 interview with The New York Times, he spoke about how things work differently in Hollywood. The actor was not pleased with the focus on CGI and how other factors would overshadow the main actor.

He referred to the Jurassic Park movie to show how it was Steven Spielberg and the movie’s special effects that stole the show. The idea that no one likely remembered the cast members was unsettling for him. His second example was Terminator 2. The James Cameron movie was a massive success that centered around a semi-human, with a lot of action sequences. But felt that special effects were so much that, “anyone could have played his part”.

Then again, the majority would not agree with this statement. Schwarzenegger added the extra factor that made every single part of the movie a success through the decades, and he remains a successful actor.

Both the immigrant actors succeeded despite CGI developments

End of the day, it is your skill that can get highlighted despite other factors. In Schwarzenegger’s case, his accent, build, and ability to play an expressionless yet likable semi-robot won him fame. Cameron even credited Schwarzenegger for helping him have a vision of the main character. Meanwhile, Chan mentioned how in Asia, fans go to movies after reading the actor’s name, which does not always work in the West except for Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise.

Years later, Chan starred alongside the Austrian Oak in the 2019 movie Iron Mask. 

What do you feel about Jackie Chan’s views? Share your thoughts in the comments.