It’s not every day that a celebrity trades movie sets for the political spotlight. But on this day in 2003, an A-list actor did exactly that, winning the governorship of the nation’s third-largest state.
Yes, we’re talking about “Mr. Olympia” bodybuilding champion and “The Terminator” actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Austrian-born actor would switch gears from being a sought-after movie star to running a political campaign as a supporter of the Republican Party in his home state of California.
On This Day in History, Arnold Schwarzenegger Becomes Governor of California
GettyOn Oct. 7, 2003, A-list movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California after replacing Democratic governor Gray Davis in a recall vote. The state was now in the hands of a Republican with little political experience, but ready to take on the role of “The Governator.”
According to History, Schwarzenegger first announced his candidacy for governor while appearing as a guest on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” But during his few weeks of campaigning, he was confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct and racism. However, that did not deter him, with the “Conan the Barbarian” star using his action-hero persona and catchy one-liners to draw voters in.
On Nov. 17, 2003, Schwarzenegger was officially sworn in as the 38th governor of California, with his former wife, Maria Shriver, right by his side. He was re-elected in 2006 and served until 2011, the same year Shriver separated from him following his admission to fathering another child with the family’s housekeeper.
Schwarzenegger Shares Why He Decided to Run For Governor of California
GettyDuring a 2012 interview with ABC News to promote his autobiography, “Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story,” Schwarzenegger was asked about his time as governor of California, most importantly, why he wanted to run in the first place.
Schwarzenegger shared that he became drawn into the world of politics after marrying Shriver, the niece of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Having been involved with the Special Olympics and serving as Chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during President George H. W. Bush’s administration in the 90s, he said the recall presented “the perfect situation” to help his state.
“The next thing you know, two months later, I won and I became governor,” he said.
He would share similar sentiments about why he felt the need to step up and help his home state during the 10X Growth Conference in 2024.
“When I was 15 years old, I did dream about becoming the most muscular man and to become rich and to become famous and to become a movie star,” he began. “Those things I dreamt, but then there were things after that, for instance, running for governor of the state of California. I was finished promoting ‘The Terminator 3’ and the state was declining and it was going downhill faster than you can imagine.”
He continued, “So I said to myself, ‘You know something? I think that I can do better than all those politicians in Sacramento. I can do better than that.’ And two months later, I was elected the governor of the great state of California.”
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