In the early 1980s, Schwarzenegger established himself as the leading figure in a new genre of herculean action films, beginning with Conan the Barbarian (1982) and its reliably vapid sequel Conan the Destroyer (1984). Later that year, he landed the role which catapulted him to superstardom—that of the indestructible cyborg in the post-apocalyptic blockbuster The Terminator. Over the next few years, Schwarzenegger’s films became increasingly technological and violent, including Commando (1985), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987), and Total Recall (1990). A more humane side to Schwarzeneggar emerged in lighter films such as Twins (1988) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).

With state-of–the-art special effects and equally impressive action sequences, the 1991 sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day featured Schwarzenegger as a kinder and gentler android. At the time of its release, the film held the notable distinction of being the most expensive movie ever produced. With over $200 million in box office sales, the returns were equally impressive, making Terminator 2: Judgement Day one of the 20 highest-grossing films of all time. Also in 1991, Schwarzenegger partnered with fellow action stars Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone to open the high-profile Planet Hollywood chain of celebrity-themed restaurants.

In 1993, Schwarzenegger was reportedly paid an unprecedented $15 million to star in Last Action Hero. Although the film disappointed critics and audiences, his next project True Lies (1994) triumphed at the box office. Directed by James Cameron (The Terminator and The Terminator 2: Judgement Day) and featuring notable performances by Jamie Lee Curtis, Bill Paxton, and Tom Arnold, the action-laced comedy proved to be a summer crowd-pleaser. After a disappointing turn in uneven comedies like Junior (1994) and Jingle All the Way (1996), Schwarzenegger returned to action features with a no-holds-barred performance as Batman’s nemesis Mr. Freeze in 1997’s Batman and Robin, but even with this effort, he could not regain his earlier stronghold on the box office.

Although Schwarzenegger recently severed ties with Planet Hollywood, his film career shows no signs of slowing down. In the 1999 apocalyptic thriller, End of Days, he played a policeman-turned-bodyguard who protects the world from the evil reign of Satan. Most recently, Schwarzenegger took on the dual role of a cloned man in the science fiction feature The 6th Day (2000).

In early 2002, he starred in Collateral Damage (the action thriller's release was pushed back after the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. in September 2001 made the film's terrorism-centered story an all too timely one), followed by the third installment of The Terminator, which is scheduled for release in 2002.

In 1990, Schwarzenegger was named chairman of President George Bush’s Council on Physical Fitness. For many years, he has supported sports programs for underprivileged children, including the Inner-City Games and the Special Olympics.