Terminator Star Reveals Devastating Impact of His Biggest Failure

In 2025, renowned Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger reflected on one of the most challenging moments of his career – the box office failure of his 1993 film Last Action Hero. Schwarzenegger, who rose to fame in the 1970s as a top bodybuilder and later transitioned into acting, has produced some of the most iconic action movies of the 80s and 90s, including the Terminator series, Predator, and Total Recall.

However, Last Action Hero, a fantasy action comedy directed by John McTiernan, was a critical and financial disappointment, despite its $85 million production budget. Schwarzenegger, accompanied by director James Cameron, opened up about the experience in a Netflix documentary, revealing how the failure "demoralized" him. "I cannot tell you how upset that I was. It hurts you. It hurts your feelings. It's embarrassing," he recalled.

Cameron, the director of Avatar 2, consoled Schwarzenegger at the time, noting that the actor "sounded like he was in bed crying" and that the flop "really shook him." Despite the devastating blow, Schwarzenegger's mother-in-law offered him sage advice: "Let's just move forward." This message resonated with the action star, who said he "didn't want to see anyone for a week" but ultimately kept "plodding along."

While Last Action Hero was a commercial failure upon its release, it has since developed a cult following over the years, demonstrating the resilience and enduring appeal of Schwarzenegger's iconic on-screen persona.