A legendary picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger (6’2″) with Wilt Chamberlain (7’1″), Andre The Giant (7’1/4″) has gone viral. Schwarzenegger is dwarfed by the NBA legend Wilt and the pro wrestling icon Andre. The picture was clicked on the set of ‘Conan the Destroyer’ in 1983.
Arnold Schwarzenegger with Wilt Chamberlain and Andre the Giant on the set of Conan the Destroyer, 1983 pic.twitter.com/V8K9av5bqL
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This 40-year-old image put together three people who were at their absolute peak in their respective professions.
Andre The Giant was a pro wrestling legend who was arguably the most recognizable wrestler at that time. This was before his run in the WWF propelled him to greater heights, as he had emerged as a superstar out of regional wrestling promotions that were popular at the time. He was also feuding with legend Hulk Hogan and touring the entire world.
At the time of taking the picture, Schwarzenegger was a rising star in Hollywood. After breaking out in his role as Hercules in the 1970 production of ‘Hercules in New York’. The former strongman became a star with his portrayal of Conan in the film series, meeting Wilt and Andre on the set of the second movie. He would shoot his magnum opus ‘The Terminator’ in 1984 and became a megastar.
Wilt Chamberlain was arguably the greatest individual player the game of basketball had seen at the time. While Bill Russell was ahead of him in terms of pure accomplishments, many considered Wilt the greatest due to him being the league’s all-time scoring leader (at the time) and putting up some of the most incredible stats in league history. In 1983, he was 10 years into his retirement and making public appearances and appearing in shows and films in his post-NBA career.
What Was The Movie About?
Conan The Destroyer was a sequel to the 1982 release ‘Conan the Barbarian’, another movie in which Arnold played the protagonist ‘Conan’. Wilt Chamberlain played the role of Bombaata and was one of the primary antagonists of the movie. He was a double agent who worked alongside Conan on a heist but was ordered to kill him after they retrieved a gem. His betrayal is eventually realized and Wilt gets killed by Arnold in the movie.
Andre The Giant was uncredited in the movie, but played the role of monster ‘Dagoth’. His character was integral to the plot, as the gem that Conan was after was related to his character. Ultimately, the gem led to the resurrection of Dagoth, which led to another scene where Conan had to vanquish the monster. Naturally, he does.
Schwarzenegger was blown away by Wilt’s strength during gym sessions with the former NBA star, who was about a decade into retirement during filming.
“He came and would do a tricep extension. The strongest guys would do like 120 pounds, he’d come in and do 150-170 pounds. That’s how strong he was.”
The movie got a mixed reception when it came out, with people calling it a great film for ‘sword and sorcery’ action, but criticized the comedic tones of the movie and how they were portrayed on screen with Schwarzenegger’s delivery. The film was a box office success, making $31 million after being made with a budget of $18 million.
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