"I felt that it's too little for me" - Arnold Schwarzenegger on why he had to leave Austria

Arnold Schwarzenegger is known worldwide as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. An actor, film producer, businessman and politician, he has worn several hats in his life, making him one of the biggest personalities in the US. The seven-time Mr Olympia winner is considered a living legend by bodybuilders around the globe.

It's interesting to note that the ‘Terminator’ star carries the nickname, 'Austrian Oak'. As mentioned in the nickname, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria. However, the actor left his home country at a young age as he began to feel there wasn't enough for him.

In an interview, Schwarzenegger shocked a few viewers as he mentioned why he left his home country.

Schwarzenegger shot to fame at a very young age. The bodybuilder moved to the United States at a very young age to pursue his dream of making it big in the bodybuilding community.

Speaking about why he chose the US as his destination, Schwarzenegger said that he fell in love with the country as a kid. Born and raised in Austria, the bodybuilder made enormous sacrifices to move to his dream country.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love for the US

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the biggest names in the American entertainment industry. But not many know the struggle behind it. Schwarzenegger was born shortly after World War II and grew up in a small town.

During an interview with Graham Bensinger, Schwarzenegger recalled his childhood and said that his town was too small. He said:

“In Austria, when you live in this little village, you see everything little. Little bridges, little cars, little four-cylinder cars, one-cylinder motorcycles and mopeds and stuff like that."

Furthermore, Schwarzenegger said that he first fell in love with the US after seeing videos of its enormous landmarks. He said that he found US-made vehicles and buildings 'gigantic’. He continued:

“But there was the Harley Davidson, the huge motorcycle. The huge Cadillacs with the wings and all that stuff. Everything (in the US) was just gigantic, and I just fell in love with that.”

The former Mr Olympia winner said:

“I remember that I saw, on the screen, footage of New York and the highrises, Empire State Building. The highways and freeways, and the bridges, and everything seemed, to me, so huge. It was gigantic.”

The bodybuilder went on to add that he found the US more interesting than Austria. Schwarzenegger said that he always felt like he ‘belonged to the US’ and that bodybuilding was his ticket to the country. The actor stated:

“For some reason, I felt I was in the wrong place. I always felt out of place in Austria, I felt kind of like—I mean it was a beautiful country and everything—but it was kind of like I felt that it’s too little for me, I was much more attracted to America."

Watch the full interview here:

Arnold Schwarzenegger's illustrious career

Arnold Schwarzenegger was crowned Junior Mr Europe in 1965 at the age of 14. He won the senior version of the title the following year. The bodybuilder shot to fame in the seventies as he began to dominate international competitions. He went on to win the Mr Universe title for three years in a row from 1968 to 1970.

Having made it big in the US, the seven-time Mr Olympia title winner transitioned to acting. Arnold Schwarzenegger gained popularity in Hollywood, starring in blockbuster hits like 'The Terminator' and 'Twins' in the 80s. He was twice named in the ‘100 most influential people in the world’ by Time magazine (2004 and 2007).

Later, he also ventured into politics, becoming the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011.