“We never even worked together”: George Clooney not cool with Arnold Schwarzenegger earning $25 million after disastrous Batman movie

Arnold Schwarzenegger (via Instagram/@schwarzenegger)and George Clooney (via Instagram@clooneyfoundationforjustice)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (via Instagram/@schwarzenegger)and George Clooney (via Instagram@clooneyfoundationforjustice)

Arnold Schwarzenegger, a seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, is not just a legendary bodybuilder but also a reputed actor. The Terminator star, however, has faced failures in his acting career.

Having been in the acting business for a long time, Arnie has accumulated a huge fortune. Although amongst his failures as an actor was the sequel to Batman Forever. He starred alongside George Clooney in Joel Schumacher's directed Batman and Robin, which was a disaster.

On the Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Clooney, who played Batman in the movie, revealed what happened while the film was being produced. Clooney claimed that the Austrian Oak earned twenty times more money than he received. Clooney also felt he took all the heat from fans despite Arnie making a fortune.

"Schwarzenegger was paid, I think, $25 million for that, which was like 20 times more than I was paid for it, and, you know, we never even worked together! We worked together one day. But I took all the heat."

According to critics, Batman and Robin failed due to its weak narration and the underwhelming performances of the actors. Another reason for its negative reviews was the inappropriate portrayal of the female character. Reports claim that it was one of the worst fantasy superhero movies ever.

George Clooney also shared that Arnold Schwarzenegger was paid more money, yet he alone faced all the heat that made him angry. From the start, Clooney knew he was not a 'good fit' for Batman's role. After facing criticism, he had to change his acting style, which impacted his career.

One of the insiders said that Arnold Schwarzenegger's contract included unique bonuses in addition to the $25 million he got for his performance. In just 25 days of actual filming, the actor earned $25 million. Also, starting when he sat down in his makeup chair, the actor only put in a maximum of 12 hours each day. The actor's time on set was therefore limited as a result.


Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting career

After Arnie claimed his second Mr. Olympia title in 1972, he wanted a gradual shift from mainstream bodybuilding. His dream came true when he was offered the titular role in 1970's Hercules in New York. However, he faced criticism due to his Austrian accent.

Following his third Olympia win, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed with his second film, The Long Goodbye, in which he played the role of a mob hitman. 1976 marked the dominance of Arnold the actor after he appeared in Stay Hungry, for which he received the Golden Globe Award.

The 1980s era saw the rise of action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger. He played the leading role in Conan the Barbarian and its sequel. Later on, in 1984, Arnold appeared in The Terminator, which, over time, became the highlight of his career.

Arnie's superhit movies in the 1980s include:

  • Commando (1985)
  • Raw Deal (1986)
  • The Running Man (1987)
  • Predator (1987)
  • Red Heat (1988)

He, alongside Sylvester Stallone, became an international star for his action-packed role. Arnie has not looked back since then and has given his entire time to acting.

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