Arnold Schwarzenegger has played many great characters over the years, but Terminator's T-800 remains perhaps his most beloved and iconic.
It's a role the actor has said is now behind him, but he's more than happy to look back at his time working on the franchise. James Cameron helmed the first two instalments (it was all downhill from there, unfortunately), and Terminator 2: Judgment Day remains an undisputed classic.
During a recent panel at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Schwarzenegger looked back at the sequel and admitted that his rivalry with fellow actor and friend Sylvester Stallone saw him pitch some bold ideas to Cameron for the movie.
"The reason why it became a big hit was, number one, Jim Cameron. Jim Cameron is a genius writer," the actor started. "He came up with this brilliant idea, even though at the beginning I was suspicious. He said 'I want to make you a good Terminator.'"
"I said 'What do you mean a good Terminator?'" Schwarzenegger continued. "I was killing 68 people in the first one. In the second one, 'I have to kill 150. We go up! Cut their throats and shoot them with a cannon and run them over with a car.' I had to outdo Stallone. I said that my whole mission was being number one at killing amounts of people on screen."
That would have made for one bloody movie, and it's an idea that the filmmaker quickly shot down (and he didn't mince his words based on the actor's recollection)
"He said 'Arnold, stop it. You’re a very sick guy. I am gonna make sure that in Terminator 2, you’re not gonna kill one single person.' I said, 'That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. How can this be Terminator 2 without me killing anyone? At least throw a few token bodies in there.'"
The director's approach paid off and the T-800 ended up becoming one of cinema's greatest heroes, as a result. Judgement Day also went a long way in establishing Schwarzenegger as Hollywood's go-to action hero in the 1990s, something not even Stallone could compete with.
Watch the full panel in the player below.