Terminator: Why All T-800s Look Like Arnold Schwarzenegger

Surprisingly enough, there’s actually a specific reason all T-800 model cyborgs in the Terminator franchise look and sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger. While Schwarzenegger was already gaining notice for his work in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian and its sequel, it was 1984’s The Terminator that really cemented him as an action star for the ages. Following his turn as Skynet’s machine assassin, Schwarzenegger would star in other action classics like Predator and Total Recall over the next few years, becoming a household name in the process, and building a career most would envy.

If there’s one true face of The Terminator series it’s definitely Schwarzenegger, who has played leading or supporting roles in five of the six films made to date. Even the one he didn’t technically appear in, Terminator Salvation, saw fit to CGI his younger face onto a T-800 body for a surprise cameo. It’s almost impossible to imagine a Terminator movie happening that doesn’t include Schwarzenegger in some capacity at this point.

One of the interesting things about Schwarzenegger’s role in the Terminator franchise is that he’s technically playing a different T-800 every time, as each tends to go down fighting. Schwarzenegger is clearly that model’s default appearance, and it turns out a deleted scene from Terminator 3 was planned to spell out why.

A Terminator 3 Deleted Scene Established Why T-800s Look Like Arnold Schwarzenegger

As revealed in a deleted scene shot during the production of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the T-800’s physical appearance is modeled on Chief Master Sergeant William Candy, a member of the United States Air Force Combat Control Team. He was selected by Cyber Research Systems, which picked up what was left of Cyberdyne’s projects after their headquarters were destroyed in Terminator 2. Candy is played by Schwarzenegger and considering he’s spent his life pursuing peak physical condition, it’s not hard to imagine why he was chosen.

However, Candy, rather hilariously, isn’t voiced by Schwarzenegger, but instead speaks with an exaggerated southern accent that’s anything but intimidating. CRS boss Thomas Shelby hates it, to which his assistant Sherwood Olson pipes up with a promise to fix the T-800’s lackluster voice. In another wink to viewers, Olson isn’t played by Schwarzenegger but is voiced by him, revealing that Olson opted to simply replace Candy’s voice with his own. While the Sgt. Candy scene is amusing in isolation and does indeed provide an explanation for the T-800’s appearance, it’s not hard to imagine why it got cut. The scene is too silly for its own good, and while Terminator 3 isn’t a movie without humor, the Sgt. Candy sequence feels like a tonal shift too far for The Terminatorfranchise. For those interested in seeing the scene in full, it’s also included on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Terminator 3.

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