Throughout his career as a bodybuilding legend and later transitioning to Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger had made quite a reputation for himself. Despite his image as a cold-hearted competitor courtesy of the docudrama ‘Pumping Iron,’ the icon was still famous for his charm and demeanor. And to the extent that fellow bodybuilders like Tom Platz and Dorian Yates still remember him fondly.
In a candid chat on Dorian Yates’ show, “Shadow Talk,” Platz and Yates recently sat down to talk about all things bodybuilding and championships. The duo have been masters of the mass monster era, with their massive size being their USPs that won them many accolades. Yet Platz admitted that it owed it all to Schwarzenegger.
In 1981, the seven-time Mr. Olympia finally made his shift to Hollywood, leaving behind many events and clients that he couldn’t tend to. In the meantime, Platz grew popular during this era with his insane conditioning and size. He also got the nickname “Quadfather,” owing to his massive legs. Therefore, Schwarzenegger knew he could trust Platz with his tasks.
Recalling his peak in bodybuilding, Dorian Yates appreciated how Platz had grown quite popular during the 1980s. To this, the latter admitted how Schwarzenegger was responsible for the change in the trajectory of his career.
“After ’81, Arnold was going into acting more and more…he goes, ‘look I want to have everybody contact you, because I’m going into the movies and films, and I’m busy doing that. Is it okay?’ So I’m like, ‘yeah sure let’s do it.'”
After agreeing, Platz got in touch with a lot of contacts through Schwarzenegger, and it shocked him. Thoughtful gesture aside, he recalled how the clients and shows paid him a lot of money, surprising Platz with the possibilities. For this, the bodybuilding icon admitted that he would always be grateful to the former Mr. Olympia.
“They’re like getting 10000 to show up for the half a day! I’m like ‘holy smokes!”. It was like he opened that door for me…he’s a ruthless kind of guy, but he’s very generous.”
Eventually, Schwarzenegger fulfilled his dream that brought him to America, only for him to shoot for the stars after that. After countless movies and silver-screen appearances, he conquered other domains until he circled back to his roots: health and fitness.
Tom Platz had one complaint about Arnold Schwarzenegger
Speaking of Schwarzenegger’s ruthlessness, Platz once revealed in a seminar how the former Mr. Olympia sabotaged him in a competition. In 1982, before Mr. Olympia in London, Platz brutally tore his bicep and had a visible impact. After trying various methods to mask it, he decided to go for the competition anyway.
Things were looking good until Platz realized his mistake. He had told Schwarzenegger about his injury and claimed that the star informed the judges about it. The jury instructed him to show his left bicep, beating his chances of winning the title. However, Platz doesn’t seem to hold grudges anymore since he’s grateful to the former Mr. Olympia for all the chances.
