Now on the back end of an acting career spanning 50 years, Arnold Schwartzenegger is finally set to make his debut on the small screen. According to Variety, the former Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia will star in a novel spy series being set up for development by streaming giant Netflix.
The show is said to be a global spy adventure focused on a father and daughter, with Monica Barbaro in line to play Arnold's daughter. If the series does make it to Netflix as intended, it will mark the 73-year-old's first regular television role. An insider told Variety the deal is still being discussed but it would be a script to series order if it crosses the line.
Producer Nick Santora created the show and will executively produce as part of his deal with Skydance Television. Santora is also working as a showrunner on Skydance's Jack Reacher, set for Amazon Prime Video. Schwarzenegger is also poised to executively produce with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost, with Caroline Harris to oversee the project for Skydance.
Schwarzenegger is one of the most popular actors in the film industry, as well as one of its longest-tenured personalities. He's featured in a number of films since 1970 after getting his first gig as the star of Hercules in New York at the age of 22. His first real big role came in 1982 when he stared in Conan the Barbarian, which was followed by the sequel Conan the Destroyer in 1984. 1984 also saw Arnold take up what is considered his signature role, having starred in The Terminator. The rest is history - a very long and eventful history.
The star actor was also the Governor of California from 2003-2011.
Meanwhile, Barbaro will also have a role in the inbound Top Gun: Maverick alongside another film icon in Tom Cruise. The sequel to the hit 1986 release was initially set for December but has been pushed back to July next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 30-year-old actress has featured in a number of roles, including Yael in Unreal and Cora Vasquez in Netflix's The Good Cop.
Source: Variety