Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Near-Death Experience Right Before The Last Terminator
Luckily, he bounced back just like he always promised.
Unfortunately, despite all the perks of being a famous actor and former politician, there is one thing that cannot be taken for granted, and that is health. Of course, wealthier people have access to more medical care and attention, but no one is truly insured against tragic accidents.
Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been the face of men's health and fitness for years. But the actor has also been open about the struggles he has faced. One of those struggles is a congenital heart defect he was born with. This defect caused Schwarzenegger to undergo three open heart surgeries at the age of 76.
The last of the three, performed just three months before filming began on 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate, nearly proved fatal. During the valve replacement, surgeons made a mistake and were faced with unexpected internal bleeding, prompting them to perform a much more difficult procedure to keep the patient alive.
As the actor revealed on The Pump YouTube channel, a procedural error almost cost him his life:
“I was really freaking out. <...> I looked like an idiot waddling around in the hallways, but the bottom line was I was getting going because the doctors said you have to exercise your lungs because if you get pneumonia you can die,” Schwarzenegger recalled the harsh recovery process.
Of course, the anxiety of the upcoming shoot only added to the pain the actor was already experiencing. From a point where he couldn't walk down the hospital hallway without the support of the splint, he was able to push through and get back to a fit state in time for the shoot.
Considering that the actor is known for his fitness journey and positive outlook on life, there's no doubt that despite any medical hardships, there's plenty more great projects for him to come.
Until then, if you want to check out Arnold Schwarzenegger's physique and form throughout the Terminator franchise, you can re-watch all the movies in order on Hulu or Amazon Prime Video.
Source: The Pump