Long before he became one of the most recognisable strength athletes on the planet, Eddie Hall was just a young boy glued to the screen watching one of Hollywood’s most iconic action stars dominate in Terminator 2.
For Hall, the impact of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance in the blockbuster film went far beyond entertainment. It became the spark behind a lifelong obsession with strength, power, and becoming larger than life himself.
Speaking about the figures who shaped him growing up, Hall admitted there was only ever one real answer.
“Who was my biggest inspiration growing up? It’s got to be Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Hall said.
The former World’s Strongest Man explained that one particular scene from Terminator 2 stayed with him more than almost anything else from his childhood.
He said: “I think just watching Arnold on Terminator 2, walk into a bar but naked and kick the out of 10 Outlaws was probably one of the most memorable and imprinting memories of my life.”
For many fans of strength sports, bodybuilding, or action films, Schwarzenegger represented more than just a movie star during the 80s and 90s. He was the physical definition of dominance — towering, fearless, and seemingly unstoppable. Hall was no different.
The scene clearly left a lasting mark on him, with the Brit revealing it completely altered how he viewed strength and masculinity from a young age.
“It made me want to become a big strong superhero,” Hall said.
That ambition would eventually become reality in many ways.
Hall went on to become one of the most powerful men in history, famously winning the 2017 World’s Strongest Man competition and becoming the first person ever to deadlift 500kg under official conditions. His larger-than-life persona, explosive personality, and transition into mainstream entertainment have also mirrored the kind of crossover appeal Schwarzenegger himself mastered decades earlier.
But despite Hall’s own achievements, the admiration for Arnold has clearly never faded.
“So Arnold has subconsciously been a hero of mine from a very, very young boy and has continued to be a hero of mine at the age of 38,” he said.
It is a reminder of just how influential Schwarzenegger’s rise was for an entire generation of boys who grew up watching action films in the 90s. For Hall, the Austrian icon was not simply a bodybuilder or actor — he embodied the idea of becoming something superhuman.
And judging by Hall’s own journey from swimmer to strongman to global personality, it is fair to say the inspiration worked.
Featured image credit: Credit: The Good, The Bad, The Beast / Studio Canal / YouTube (screenshot)
