Arnold Schwarzenegger Named the Movie That Made Him Rich – It's Not 'The Terminator'

Arnold Schwarzenegger started his career in the mid-1980s and played several iconic characters, from a cold-blooded robot from a post-apocalyptic future in The Terminator to a fearless warrior from a fictional past in Conan the Barbarian.

However, it was not these roles that earned the actor the most money, but rather a comedy that you most likely don't even remember.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Earned a Fortune Thanks to 'Twins'

Schwarzenegger said the 1988 comedy Twins brought him the most money. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Schwarzenegger explained that he received a percentage of the movie's profits instead of a flat fee:

“Well, number one was Twins because we got no money for the salary but ownership with a piece of the back end. It was fantastic. We went all the way to the bank with that.”

Although Schwarzenegger did not specify the exact amount, but noted that it was more than $40 million:

“It was more than that. It was more than any movie I ever made.”

Schwarzenegger added that Twins was supposed to have a sequel. It would have been called Triplets and would have starred Eddie Murphy as the third brother.

However, the original movie's director, Ivan Reitman, passed away just before filming was set to begin, so the project was canceled.

What Is 'Twins' About?

Newborn twins who look nothing alike are separated for years. But the brothers finally meet: Julius is a giant with a kind heart, while Vincent is a short man with an insatiable thirst for money and women.

Pursued by a hired killer, the brothers embark on a cross-country journey in search of their mother – and discover much more than they bargained for.

'Twins' Is the Most Successful Comedy in Arnold Schwarzenegger's Career

Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to star in Twins without pay to prove to studios he could act in comedies, not just action films. This decision was extremely successful – Twins became a hit, collecting more than $216 million with a modest budget of $15 million.

Schwarzenegger managed to break out of his typecast image and try his hand at a new genre. As it turned out, the actor had a remarkable talent for comedy all along.

'Junior' Couldn't Repeat the Success of 'Twins'

Following the success of Twins, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his on-screen partner, Danny DeVito, starred in another Ivan Reitman comedy, Junior. In the movie, Schwarzenegger plays a scientist who agrees to participate in a pregnancy experiment.

This second collaboration with DeVito and Reitman was not as successful as expected. Junior received mixed reviews, and Schwarzenegger's transformation into an elegant, intellectual scientist was not very convincing.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Twins'?

• Twins has 42% from critics and 40% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the comedy has a score of 6.2/10.

Where to Watch 'Twins'?

Twins is available to stream on Prime Video.