In 1987, celluloid brought them together.
The future governor of Minnesota played a bit part as one of a team of U.S. Army commandos that heads into the South American jungle on a political mission and ends up doing battle with a murderous extraterrestrial.
The future candidate for governor of California portrayed the commando leader.
Sixteen years after "Predator" opened in theaters, Arnold Schwarzenegger debuted as an aspiring politician Wednesday, attempting to follow a trail blazed by his onetime co-star, Jesse "The Body" Ventura. His prey will be Gov. Gray Davis, as well as the hearts and minds of Californians voting in the Oct. 7 recall election.
While he is a novice as a candidate, the prospect of a political career for Schwarzenegger is at least as old as "Predator." His dreams of fame and power extend back long before his arrival in California as a champion bodybuilder in 1970 -- and his personal liabilities could stretch back even further.
"As you know, I'm an immigrant. I came over here as an immigrant. What gave me the opportunities ... was the open arms of Americans," he said Wednesday outside the NBC Studios in Burbank, where he had told Jay Leno and a "Tonight Show" audience of his intention to run. "I have been adopted by America."
In what could prove to be an early sign of political skill, Schwarzenegger managed to keep his decision a secret until the moment he announced it. In fact, his staff had encouraged speculation that he would bow out of the race in favor of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.
The result: His announcement landed with the force of an explosion from a Schwarzenegger movie.
Whether Schwarzenegger's political career is ultimately measured in weeks or years will likely turn on whether the star can translate the hallmarks of his life story -- fierce ambition, an exhibitionist streak and uncommon marketing savvy -- into political success.
Schwarzenegger, who turned 56 last week, was born in a small town in Austria, the son of a policeman. He took up weightlifting in Graz, Austria, at age 15, moved to Munich, Germany, at 19 and landed in the United States two years later. By the age of 23, Schwarzenegger had established himself as the world's top bodybuilder. Between 1970 and his 1975 retirement, he won the Mr. Olympia contest six consecutive times.
