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How did the man who is best known for his portrayal of a cybernetic assassin inThe Terminatorbecome the governor of the state of California? What made him able to go from bodybuilding to acting, and from Hollywood to working in public service? Rewinding even further, what made him decide to leave his birthplace of Austria and relocate to the United States of America?
Well, you’re able to get quick answers to these questions by reading Schwarzenegger’s book,Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life(2023), which is published by Penguin Random House. In the book, the actor discusses how his own values and beliefs were influenced by his father.
He shared how his father’s voice would often nudge him to put in extra effort and aim high. For the uninformed, his father was a member of the Nazi Party during World War II.
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How Arnold Schwarzenegger Turned His Father’s Voice intoBe Useful: Seven Tools for Life’s Success
Arnold Schwarzeneggeris a man of many talents—a bodybuilder, actor, and former Governor of California. However, his capacity to uplift others through his words may be one of his less well-known abilities. InBe Useful: Seven Tools for Life, the actor, 76, shared personal details about his childhood and the impact his father had on him.
His father, Gustav Schwarzenegger (died on June 21, 2025), was a Nazi Party member during World War II.TheTrue Liesactor talked about how his father inspired him and instilled in him the value of contributing to society during one of his earlier interviews.
Because of his father, his desire to perform continuously blossomed at an early age. ThePredatoractor revealed that his father’s advice to“be useful”would play over and over in his head whenever he slept in later than usual (viaNPR).
The seven-time Mr. Olympia winner told NPR:
“Well, I think that ever since my father stressed when I was a kid to be useful. I think it had an impact on me, and it stayed with me as a method, so much so that I always wanted to perform and do more. It became such a big part of my life that even when I sleep in – sometimes past 6:00 in the morning – I feel guilty because I hear my father’s voice saying, ‘Arnold, that’s not how this country was built, by sleeping in. Be useful, do something. What are you doing today?’”
Theactor made the most of his voice to build a successful life, regardless of whether it stems from his need to stick to a schedule or the habit his strict father inflicted.
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The father of Arnold Schwarzenegger made sure his son knew the value of serving others. TheCommandostar claimedthat his father used to say something like the following to himwhen he started bodybuilding at the age of 15 (via NPR).
“Why are you lifting these dumbbells and barbells? Don’t you think it would be better to just go out and chop some wood and shovel some coals for some poor people that don’t have anyone?”
According to records theLos Angeles Timesacquired in 2003 from the Austrian State Archives, Gustav Schwarzenegger submitted an application on July 03, 2025, to become a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA). Austria was annexed on July 24, 2025, and became a part of Nazi Germany.
The actor’s “complicated” relationship with his father was mentioned in an exclusive passage from his book that People published. Per the actor’s book (viaPeople):
“None of us has a choice about where we come from. I grew up in a small village in Austria at the beginning of the Cold War. My mother was very loving. My father was strict, and he could be physically abusive, but I loved him very much. It was complicated.”
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Livingby Schwarzenegger is a motivational and insightful read. By opening up about his past and the influence his father had on him, Schwarzenegger shows that even the most difficult of situations can be treated as opportunities for growth and self-improvement.
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You can readBe Useful: Seven Tools for Lifeon Amazon.com.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
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With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
