Arnold Schwarzenegger is undoubtedly one of the most influential people on the planet. He has lived a storied career that has seen him reach massive heights in three separate sectors. First, bodybuilding, then acting, and politics. But his climb to success wasn’t easy. Schwarzenegger was told early on that he wouldn’t make it in Hollywood due to his thick Austrian accent. These words of doubt only pushed him harder. After landing the lead role in The Terminator, he quickly became one of the biggest stars in the world.
As well as topping the box office time and time again with action movies like Predator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and True Lies, Schwarzenegger proved himself as a solid comedic talent. The proof is in movies like Twins and Jingle All The Way. However, to showcase himself as a well-rounded actor, he needed to display some dramatic abilities as well. Here are three dramatic Arnold Schwarzenegger performances that went under the radar.
1. End Of Days
End Of Days saw Schwarzenegger take on his darkest role to date. He played Jericho Cane, a suicidal ex-cop who now runs an elite security unit. As the end of the century approaches, Jericho finds himself up against his biggest adversary yet, The Devil. The damned one comes to New York in search of a bride. While the movie boasted dazzling action sequences and carried an undertone of horror, Schwarzenegger delivered a solid dramatic performance. Needless to say, it was unlike anything he’d done before. End Of Days was slammed by critics and flopped at the box office. But Schwarzenegger gave a glimpse of what he was capable of as a dramatic actor. Altogether, the Austrian oak unearthed a skill that he would build upon in later works.
2. Maggie
After Schwarzenegger had retired from politics and made a return to acting, he struggled to find his feet and land a big comeback role. His reprisal as The Terminator didn’t make the stomp he had hoped for. Even more, his role in The Expendables franchise was rather backseat. So, he dropped his action-hero persona and took his first stab at independent cinema.
Maggie tells the story of Wade Vogel, a devoted husband, and father who must care for his daughter in her final days as she transitions into a zombie. What, on the surface, seems to be a zombie horror movie is eventually extrapolated into a story of a father’s utter love for his daughter. The question lingers over what lengths he will go to in order to protect her.
Maggie went under the radar massively, meaning very few cinephiles got to experience Schwarzenegger’s gut-wrenching performance. However, his weighty rendition showed he definitely has what it takes to move into full-fledged drama. Maggie is also home to Schwarzenegger’s first ever on-screen tear, a moment that the filmmakers capitalized on in the official trailer.
3. Aftermatch
Aftermath tells the story of Roman (Schwarzenegger), a construction worker who struggles to cope with life after his wife and daughter are killed in a plane crash. When he discovers that the fateful crash was the result of a careless error by an air traffic controller, he sets out for revenge. While the plot echoes similarities with Schwarzenegger’s revenge vehicle, Collateral Damage, it is actually much more than a simple revenge movie.
Aftermath offers more of a character study of a man going through intense, unimaginable grief. The film throws the audience into their very own moral dilemma as the story is told from both perspectives. An overused underlying message of “where does revenge end?” lays heavy on the movie. But Schwarzenegger carries the pace along with his utterly believable rendition of true heartache. His eyes tell the story as they convey the pain he is going through. And while the movie failed to gather widespread recognition, Schwarzenegger’s performance shines as his deepest and most impressive yet.
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