Arnie: Power and poise

Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been nervous of talking about his faith, and faith is now a hot word in Hollywood, from the enduring dedication of the Jonas Brothers, to the occasionally wily but always redeemed Justin Bieber.

In recent months, Covid and Black Lives Matter have, in very different ways, asked us to reflect, reacquaint and readjust. And yet, while thanking God and looking to him for guidance has been a staple of many an Academy Award acceptance speech, it’s not always been ‘cool’ to preach the faith, lest stars attract criticism or alienate a chunk of their possible fanbase, particularly in these ‘woke’ times.

For Schwarzenegger, however, alienation was never a fear, for he was an anomaly on the streets of California – the very definition of a ‘legal alien’. Having built up a formidable reputation as a body-builder in Europe – he began lifting weights at 15 and won his first Mr. Universe title at the record-breaking age of 21 – the power-packed self-starter arrived...