Arnold Schwarzenegger was an actor.
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( [ ˈʃwɔːrtsənˌɛɡər ] [ ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈalɔʏs ˈʃvaɐ̯tsn̩ˌɛɡɐ ] ; born July 30 , 1947 ) is an Austrian-American actor , producer , businessman , investor , author , philanthropist , activist , politician and former professional bodybuilder . In 1984 , Schwarzenegger appeared in James Cameron 's science-fiction thriller film The Terminator , a critical and commercial success . Schwarzenegger subsequently reprised the Terminator character in the franchise 's later installments : Terminator 2 : Judgment Day ( 1991 ) , Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines ( 2003 ) , and Terminator Genisys ( 2015 ) .