The TerminatorstarArnold Schwarzeneggervery well could be the most-impersonated actor in the world, given his unique voice and way of speaking. That has resulted in countless impressions of Schwarzenegger having been delivered over the years, from fans quoting the actor’s films to various sketches and comedy routines seen on television. But who does the best impersonation of them all?
That’s debatable, but Schwarzenegger has his own favorites. In a video shared to YouTube byRedditto promote the action star’s Netflix seriesFUBAR, Schwarzenegger was shown a comment from a comedian who says they were “booed off the stage at the comedy club for doing bad Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions.” In response to that, Schwarzenegger suggests the comedian check out the sketches of “Hans and Franz,” theSaturday Night Liveduo who he credits as doing the “best” impressions of him.
“Get in touch with Hans and Franz from Saturday Night Live,” Schwarzenegger says. “I remember they didthe best impression of me. It was not exactly the way I sounded, but that’s what made it actually funny.”
First appearing onSNLin 1987, Hans and Franz were characters respectively played by Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon. Spoofing Schwarzenegger, the characters were part of a recurring sktech called “Pumping Up with Hans & Franz.” Portrayed as bodybuilders, the actors wore padding under gray sweatsuits and spoke with heavy Austrian accents. The sketches were so popular that at one point, Schwarzenegger himself appeared in one, referring to Hans and Franz as his “cousins.”
Related:Arnold Schwarzenegger Says James Cameron Rejected His ‘Very Sick’ Ideas for Terminator 2
Hans and Franz Recently Returned… Sort Of
Oddly enough, the Hans and Franz characters recently returned, but not toSaturday Night Live. It was announced in May that Carvey and Nealon would be returning as the characters for a podcast series. The podcast is based on a screenplay that was written for a planned film about Hans and Franz that was scrapped before production began in the early 1990s. The podcast, consisting of four parts, was calledThe Lost Hans & Franz Movie, and it’s essentially the audio version of the film that didn’t get made.
Other celebrities have gone viral in more recent years for impersonating Schwarzenegger.Bill Hader is well known for spoofing Arnold, going back to his days onSaturday Night Live, though he would also sometimes delving into his rather spot-on impressions during interviews. OtherSaturday Night Livealumni who’ve impersonated Schwarzenegger or his movie characters on the show over the years include Darrell Hammond, Jim Belushi, and Phil Hartman.
Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger is still belting out one-liners in the action genre, as seen in his role in the Netflix seriesFUBAR. He will be reprising that role as the show has been renewed for a second season. The Hollywood star and former governor of California also recently had his story told in the new Netflix docuseriesArnold. The actor will also appear as the president in the upcoming filmKung Fury 2.
