Arnold Schwarzenegger has played a killer cyborg in every single Terminator movie, but his forgotten human role was his most important character in the franchise. In the first Terminator movie, Schwarzenegger played the T-800 as a villain trying to track down and kill Sarah Connor. In the second one, Schwarzenegger played a reprogrammed T-800 as a hero protecting Sarah and her son John from a much more advanced Terminator. In the third one, he played a protector once again, this time saving John and his high school sweetheart.

In Terminator Salvation, Schwarzenegger’s likeness appeared for an uncanny-valley cameo. In Terminator Genisys, he played a Terminator named “Pops,” who raised Sarah in an alternate timeline. And in the most recent film, Terminator: Dark Fate, Schwarzenegger played a retired Terminator living a mundane human life as “Carl.” He’s been so integral to the franchise’s success that every attempt to replace Schwarzenegger as Terminator’s star has been futile. But Schwarzenegger’s most important role in the Terminator franchise wasn’t a Terminator at all.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Played Sergeant William Candy, The Human Model For The Terminators

Terminator 3’s DVD Bonus Features Explain Why The Terminators Look Like Schwarzenegger

In a little-seen sequence from the DVD of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (available on YouTube), a group of military bureaucrats sit around a boardroom and watch a PSA bragging about Cyberdyne’s work with the Terminator program. It shows off the bulky T-1 models before introducing Sergeant William Candy, played by Schwarzenegger. Candy is the human model for the initial humanoid Terminator models. Of course, later versions would resemble Robert Patrick and Kristanna Loken, but this explains why the T-800 and several other models look like Schwarzenegger.

There’s a bizarre but hilarious gag that Candy is dubbed with a cartoonish American accent. When the generals say they don’t like the accent, a scientist with Schwarzenegger’s unmistakable voice tells him they can change the accent to something else. In a franchise where Skynet has taken human form and a T-800 has lived a boring suburban life under the name Carl, this is one of the weirdest pieces of Terminator lore. It explains why the Terminators look like the Austrian Oak in the goofiest way possible.

Wait, Is Sergeant William Candy Actually Canon To Terminator?

It’s Technically Not A Deleted Scene

It’s unclear if Sergeant Candy and his likeness are actually canon to the Terminator franchise. The scene isn’t actually a part of Terminator 3’s final cut. It’s a special feature on its DVD release, but it’s not technically listed as a deleted scene. It’s also included as a bonus cutscene on a Terminator 3 video game. It’s pretty much just a gag, so whether you want to see it as canon for the Terminator franchise is up to you. Frankly, the reason why the Terminators look like Schwarzenegger doesn’t really need a solid explanation — they had to look like someone.

Terminator

Movie(s)

The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Created by

James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd

First Film

The Terminator

Latest Film

Terminator: Dark Fate

First TV Show

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Summary

The Terminator franchise is a landmark in science fiction, featuring a battle between humanity and artificially intelligent machines led by Skynet. The story primarily revolves around the Terminator robots, particularly the T-800 model, and the resistance led by John Connor. The series explores themes of fate, artificial intelligence, and the moral implications of technological advancement.

<ʙuттon type="ʙuттon" class="show-more-new icon i-chevron-down-solid">Expand