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Arnold Schwarzenegger shares poignant advice his dad gave him

Arnold Schwarzenegger is celebrating his 75h birthday, and the Terminator and Predator star has shared some wisdom his old man gave to him

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger has had quite the career. From becoming the world’s strongest man, to leading many great action movies, and later a successful politician, it feels like he’s done it all. For his 75th birthday, he put up a newsletter marking the occasion, with some advice his father gave him.

In the post, broken into six goals he hopes his readers and fans will join him in, he includes ‘Be Useful’, where he outlines a philosophical outlook of being active in our communities. In one passage, he echoes something his dad told him. “My dad always said ‘Be useful, Arnold’,” Schwarzenegger writes. “When I was young, I listened, but it didn’t mean as much as it means now. 75 years of life has taught me that it means everything.”

He goes to state that it was through programmes that allowed him to engage with others and share in their growth that he fully understood that principle. “Once I realised that I got more joy from training Special Olympics athletes than raising trophies and enjoyed hanging out with kids at after-school programs more than walking red carpets, it all clicked,” he says.

Through-out the newsletter, he comes back to similar ideas, echoing that it’s our personal initiative that defines us. Whether that’s in fitness, political interests, or wanting to help under-privileged people in your neighbourhood.

The Terminator movie star is currently working on his Netflix series, FUBAR (though it’s been rumoured to be retitled to Utap). Not much is known about the show just yet, but it’s a sequel to Arnold Schwarzenegger movie True Lies from 1994, and it’ll be a similar spy jaunt.

We’ll keep you informed. Have a look at our guide to the Predator movies for more of Schwarzenegger’s heyday.