The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a self-proclaimed aficionado of Conan O’Brien’s comedic genius. During a recent guest appearance on the podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” Schwarzenegger urged O’Brien to take the lead role in a shelved movie about two bodybuilder brothers, an idea that originally saw the light of day on Saturday Night Live.
Previously, on his podcast, O’Brien had read out lines from the unmade film’s script. Schwarzenegger couldn’t contain his laughter, confessing, “There’s no comedy movie, to be honest with you, that I have laughed that much [at] than just listening to you.” O’Brien disclosed that he had penned the script with Schwarzenegger in mind, dubbing it “the most ridiculous movie in the world and it’s a musical.”
Schwarzenegger went on to describe a scene that had him in stitches, involving the two brothers navigating a bathroom. “It was fantastic. It was so well written and I hope they do it. I really hope they do it. You still can do it,” he enthused.
The Legacy of Hans and Franz on SNL
The skits were titled “Pumping up with Hans and Franz,” featuring two brothers who were supposedly Schwarzenegger’s cousins. They made multiple appearances on SNL, brought to life by comedians Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon. The skit first aired in the show’s 13th season. In 1988 and 1991, Schwarzenegger made guest appearances in these sketches, and was so smitten by them that he desired to produce and star in a film adaptation, which unfortunately, never materialized.
O’Brien, one of the writers of SNL, was involved in the script. He confessed that he had initially planned a cameo for Schwarzenegger. However, upon revising the script, he found that he had unintentionally given Schwarzenegger more screen time than the other characters, including the film’s protagonists.