A Surprising Reaction from Hollywood
When Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in Hollywood, he faced a significant challenge. Movie producers looked at him with disbelief:
– You want to be a leading actor in a film?
– Yes, I want to be like Reg Park, – Arnold replied.
Dreams Inspired by a Legend
Reg Park was a British bodybuilder who landed the role of Hercules in a well-known film. His story inspired young Arnold, who eagerly read about his achievements in a magazine he found while still living in Austria.
Unfortunately, even though Arnold managed to surpass Reg Park in bodybuilding, a serious obstacle emerged on his path to achieving his acting dreams.
Unexpected Challenges
– You have a very strong German accent, – he heard this repeatedly from film producers. – When you open your mouth, it gives us chills. You sound like an SS officer. The audience will never love you; they will always be afraid of you. Your accent in English will never allow you to land a leading role in a film.
But Arnold didn’t know the meaning of the word “impossible.” He recalls with a smile that when he heard “You can’t do it,” it sounded to him like the similarly pronounced “You can do it.”
Determination vs. Obstacles
So, Arnold didn’t give up. Every day, he spent hours practicing his pronunciation. He took lessons from specialists in accent removal, repeating difficult sentences over and over to work on individual sounds. Going to bed, he practiced the difference between the English “th” and the German “s.”
“I think and not: I sink,” he whispered to himself before sleep. “I must not mix them up.”
Unfortunately, his German accent in English was still noticeable. Arnold simply sounded foreign. He didn’t inspire trust, especially among film producers accustomed to the flawless diction of stars born in America.
Even though he started speaking much better, he hit a wall he couldn’t break through. His accent in English was like a heavy ball chained to his leg, holding him back from reaching his goal.
Arnold’s Surprising Secret
Years later, Schwarzenegger, whose voice still carries a strong hint of his German accent, revealed the secret to his success with a smile:
“I stopped treating my accent as a burden. It became my strength. And even more – it became my trademark.”
And indeed, it was partly thanks to his accent that he achieved success as an actor.
The Role That Changed Everything
The best proof of this comes from James Cameron, the director of The Terminator, in which Arnold played the main role. Here are his words:
“The line ‘I’ll be back,’ delivered by Arnold, became iconic precisely because of his accent. He sounded like a machine, which made him perfect for the role of a futuristic android.”
And he was right. To this day, nearly everyone who says “I’ll be back” does so in Schwarzenegger’s voice, slowly emphasizing each word.
An Important Lesson
Schwarzenegger’s story holds an important lesson for all of us learning foreign languages. When you learn a new language as an adult, getting rid of your accent can be difficult, if not impossible.
However, it’s worth remembering that just as a scar is proof of having overcome pain, an accent in English is evidence that mastering the language didn’t come easy to you. You didn’t learn it as a child; it wasn’t a gift from fate. Learning it required determination and sacrifice.
Your Accent in English
In your accent, you can hear the hours spent with books and in lessons, the effort you put into learning every day. Don’t be ashamed of your accent – like Arnold Schwarzenegger, work on it, but don’t see it as a flaw.
Let it become your trademark, a testament to the hard work you’ve put in. Let it become your strength, motivating you to continue learning.
helo