Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals why O.J. Simpson was dropped from 'The Terminator' by producers

O.J. Simpson is probably best-known today for his extremely controversial and highly-publicized legal troubles. His most infamous situation was when he went on trial for allegedly murdering two people. It was labeled "The Trial of the Century" because of Simpson's status as a celebrity and for how gruesome the murders were.

Prior to his many polarizing situations off the field, O.J. Simpson first established himself as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history during his time with the Buffalo Bills. His success on the football field and troubles off of it have made him a well-known public figure for much of his life, for both good and bad reasons.

Apparently, O.J. Simpson was extremely close to being even more famous than he already is in a much different field. He was allegedly in the final stages of being cast as the lead actor in one of the most successful action and science fiction movies of all-time.

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger was ultimately cast in the lead role for The Terminator as the time-traveling cyborg assassin, Simpson, apparently, was the preferred choice. He was allegedly removed from the role because the movie-makers didn't think he was capable of playing a "killing machine" and that the public would have a hard time accepting that image of him, accroding to Insider.

Schwarzenegger discussed the situation on his recent Netflix docuseries titled Arnold. He recalled a conversation he had with director James Cameron and a group of the movie's producers:

“During our conversation, it became clear no one was hooked to O.J. Simpson playing Terminator because he could not be sold as a killing machine.”

Simpson was apparently being considered for the role mostly due to the credibility and name-value he would bring to the movie at the time. This was during an era where he was one of the most popular athletes with a massive fan base. Using him in the lead role would likely attract many of his fans to watch it simply because he was starring in it.

The irony here is that he was later put on trial as the lead suspect in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. While Simpson was acquitted of the charges, many in the public felt strongly that he was guilty. The makers of The Terminator may not have thought he could be seen as a "killing machine" by the public, but they may have been wrong about that.

Did O.J. Simpson have a Hollywood career?

Following his legendary football career with the Buffalo Bills, O.J. Simpson entered the Hollywood world as an actor. According to his official IMDB page, he has acted in 36 different roles between TV and movies, while also being credited as a producer six times. He is best known in Hollywood for his recurring role in The Naked Gun movie series.