While the set for Terminator 6 was as guarded as Fort Knox, one lucky Arnold fan infiltrated the Budapest set and was hanging out with Arnold for the day. Correction, that fan won a mega contest and was invited to the set! Michael K. is giving his exclusive story on working out with Arnold and spending a lot of time on the Terminator set to TheArnoldFans!
As many of you know, Arnold sought to Terminate Gerrymandering, where politicians redraw district lines to gain a greater share of their favored supporter base. In essence, the politicians choose the voters versus the voters choosing the politicians. Four states had elections to prevent this from happening, and Arnold was seeking to bring awareness to this and raise money for these campaigns. For those who did donate, one would be chosen to fly to Budapest and hang with Arnold on the set of the new Terminator movie. Michael K was that fan and he’s been a long time follower here at TheArnoldFans. Michael K was a well-deserved winner!
My Time With Arnold In Budapest by Michael K.
We have all read and heard about the amazing fan experiences Arnold has provided over the years. Whether it was Blowing Sh*t Up in California or joining the Terminator on the red carpet for the premiere of Genisys, the Governor has always been extremely loyal and generous with his one-of-a-kind fan base. I had donated a few other times before in hopes of meeting my idol. Truthfully, I never really expected to win and was never really disappointed when I didn’t, because I love supporting causes Arnold gets behind, such as After School All Stars. Yet, there was always this small part inside of me that knew one day I would be able to meet Arnold in one way or another.
In October 2017, I took a two-week trip to California with my wife. Both of us had always wanted to drive south on the Pacific Coast Highway and experience the great views the California coastline has to offer. For me, it was a chance to map out a few Arnold pit stops that my wife graciously agreed to. I found some of these destinations on TheArnoldFans website and researched a few others on my own: Vivaldi’s Mansion from Last Action Hero, John Connor’s Foster Parents home from T2, Casa de Cadillac from Commando, Muscle Beach, the original Gold’s Gym, and of course Arnold’s star on the Walk of Fame. Little did I know, almost exactly a year later, I would be hanging with Arnold on the set of the new Terminator movie in Budapest.
I was planning on donating to the Terminate Gerrymandering campaign, but again, I did not expect to win. I donated the day before the campaign was over - $10 in total. I knew it wasn’t much, but I also knew every dollar counts with fundraising efforts. Days later, they let me know that I was the winner, and that I would be going to Budapest to meet Arnold! There was an immediate flood of emotions inside and I thought, is this really happening? Still being at work, I had to suppress everything that I was feeling inside, but man was it hard!
The next day, I had a conference call with Daniel, Arnold’s Chief of Staff, and Lynn, who coordinates all of Arnold’s travel. We went over some of the contest details and got all the travel arrangements together. The trip was originally only for one person, but Arnold’s team was kind enough to allow me to bring my wife. This level of generosity blew me away, as neither of us had been to Europe before and our wedding anniversary was right around the corner. I knew this one would be impossible to top!
We flew out of Newark Airport via Austrian Airlines, en route to Vienna. Arnold’s team hooked us up with phenomenal seats on the flight. Extra leg room, extra wide seats, leg rests, and reclining seats up to 45 degrees – not to mention a 4 course meal! Once we landed in Vienna, it was a short 40 minute flight to Budapest, and I was one step closer to meeting Arnold!
The hotel we stayed in was absolutely stunning. The Gresham Palace has a very rich history and was built in 1904. It underwent a total renovation starting in 2001, after almost being demolished and falling into disarray after World War II. It was located directly on the Danube River and has a central location in Budapest. Arnold and his team stayed there during filming, and I can understand why that was their hotel of choice.
After a full day in Budapest and being up for 36 hours straight, I finally got to bed, knowing the next day would be the day I was going to tour the set and finally meet Arnold. It was the greatest night of sleep I ever had.
My cell phone rang at 7:30 AM and Walter, one of Arnold’s crew, was on the line. He let me know that a van would be picking us up at 11:00AM to bring us to the set. I leapt out of bed, had an amazing breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and took a quick shower to wake my ass up. A short time later, my ride was downstairs, and we were on our way.
I was on set for about 2-3 hours before I met Arnold. We had just finished touring a few of the auxiliary sets with producer John Kelly, and I was about to sit down for lunch, when someone came over and told me Arnold was asking for us. They said we could finish our lunch, but there was no way that was going to happen. At that point, meeting Arnold was all I could focus on. The food, and anything else for that matter, could wait!
As he was walking towards us, I again asked myself if this was really happening. I had watched all of Arnold’s movies, hundreds of times in total, and could not believe I was about to shake hands with my idol. There was so much going on within me, but I managed to stick out my hand and say “Governor, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you.”
We connected for about 20 minutes and covered various topics. In speaking with Arnold, he literally makes you feel like you are the only person in the room. The previous week, he had attended a number of rallies against Gerrymandering, spoke at the Bonnie Reis Memorial Lecture, went to the Alamo City Comic Con, and flew into Budapest that morning. I was amazed at his focus and energy, knowing the week he had just previously completed. At that point, I understood why he had been able to achieve every single goal he had sought up to that point in his life. His focus, drive, and attention to detail are unmatched.
We connected on and off for the rest of the day in-between him shooting scenes and attending to a few phone calls. Arnold called me onto the set to take pictures and made sure we had the best angles to capture everything that was happening at that point in the movie. He even went as far as to invite me into his director style chair on set so I could have the best view of what was happening.
Again, I was amazed on how much Arnold was going out of his way to make sure I had the best of everything. Let’s be serious, this is the former Governor of California, 7x Mr. Olympia, 5x Mr. Universe, and the greatest action hero of all time…. And he is making sure I have the most memorable experience of my life on set. UNREAL!
I can't give away any specifics about my time on set, but I can tell you that Arnold looks to be in phenomenal shape for the movie! In the 7+ hours I was there, they filmed 5 action sequences and the big sound stages and multiple auxiliary sets scream big budget blockbuster film!
In addition to spending time with Arnold and Producer John Kelly, I also got to meet Director Tim Miller and the new Terminator, Gabriel Luna. Gabe is a very funny and outgoing guy who practically introduced us to every single person who worked on the set. All were extremely kind, welcoming, and friendly. You could feel the family-like atmosphere they had set up throughout their time filming the movie. Linda Hamilton was also on set that day and she looks to be all business in the movie – just like in T2!
I was amazed at the level of detail that was put into every single aspect of each scene that was filmed. No detail, big or small, was being left unattended to. Taking all of these factors into account, this movie WILL NOT disappoint and the release date could not come soon enough!
After filming had ended for the day, I met Arnold again coming out of his trailer. He invited both of us to dinner for some authentic schnitzel at Kollazs, which was the restaurant at the hotel.
Once we got back, there were three other people at dinner: Walter, Dieter (another of Arnold’s crew who showed us around the set that day), and Tatiana who was a producer of Arnold’s upcoming movie with Jackie Chan, Viy 2. A gentleman as always, Arnold saved two seats for my wife and myself, right next to him.
True to his word, the schnitzel was amazing and tasted just as good as my grandmother’s, who was also an immigrant from Germany. Again we connected on various topics, including my career as a Physical Therapist, Arnold’s time as Governor, his current exercise routine, recovery from heart surgery, and some geography trivia. It may have been the fastest hour of my life, but definitely one of the most memorable.
Arnold had another appointment at 8pm when dinner ended, but before we parted he said, “I think we should work out together tomorrow morning.” What?!?! Was I going to workout with the greatest Mr. Universe/Olympia champion??? I responded, “Absolutely, let me know the time and I will be there.” Truth be told, I barely slept that night, but woke up the next day full of energy knowing this was going to be the greatest workout of my life!
At 6AM the next day, prior to filming, we loaded into Arnold’s Yukon Denali and headed over to Flex Gym, which is an old-school bodybuilding gym right across the river from the hotel. All the big stars work out there when filming in Budapest – Jamie Fox, Will Smith, and of course Arnold.
The owner, Adam, met us when we arrived and Arnold and I jumped right into a Chest and Back workout. We did super-sets of Seated Rows / Hammer Incline Bench, Lat pulldowns (one set behind the neck, one in front) / Chest Fly, Pullover Machine / Seated Calves, and Combo Crunch Machine for the upper and lower abdominals. There was no rest, and we got a sweet pump before Arnold went to film for the day. As in his training days during the Mr. Olympia competition, Arnold still works calves and abdominals, every day.
Arnold knew the best spots in the gym for photos, and we posed next to a mural of Arnold with Franco, a full size T-800, and other photo-ops throughout the workout. Arnold made sure my form was perfect and I even managed to count out a few of his reps in the small amount of German I knew.
Prior to leaving, Arnold signed my Arnold is Numero Uno t-shirt, and we parted ways. He said we should keep in touch, and I hope to meet up with him one day again.
Since Arnold was going to film for the day, Adam gave us a ride back to the hotel. I could never picture this happening in America, but the Hungarian people are extremely friendly and generous. Adam shared Arnold was not supposed to work out at the gym that morning and he believed Arnold made a special trip there for us… there he goes again with making this a special once in a life time experience.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about my time with Arnold, and if you are reading this, I would guess that you, too, are a fan of the Governor. I can tell you that Arnold is one of the most genuine, kind, generous, and down to earth people I have ever met. Despite all of his accomplishments and prestige, he made sure my wife and I had a memorable time in Budapest and I can tell you that it exceed all of my expectations. It was greater then I could have ever wished for.
Arnold does not like to consider himself a self-made man. Yes, he has worked extremely hard for the success he achieved, but he shared that there were a number of people who gave him advice, guided him, and motivated him to “be useful.”
He is the epitome of the American Dream and literally makes the most of every opportunity presented to him. I hope my sharing this story helps to inspire you to do the same and work towards the goals you work towards everyday. Arnold has taught me your biggest dreams can come true… if you are willing to put that work in. Get involved and STAY HUNGRY!
——
Congratulations of this amazing win, Michael! We look forward to hearing all the great Terminator set details when you’re allowed to share them a bit closer to the film’s release!
As many of you know, Arnold sought to Terminate Gerrymandering, where politicians redraw district lines to gain a greater share of their favored supporter base. In essence, the politicians choose the voters versus the voters choosing the politicians. Four states had elections to prevent this from happening, and Arnold was seeking to bring awareness to this and raise money for these campaigns. For those who did donate, one would be chosen to fly to Budapest and hang with Arnold on the set of the new Terminator movie. Michael K was that fan and he’s been a long time follower here at TheArnoldFans. Michael K was a well-deserved winner!
My Time With Arnold In Budapest by Michael K.
We have all read and heard about the amazing fan experiences Arnold has provided over the years. Whether it was Blowing Sh*t Up in California or joining the Terminator on the red carpet for the premiere of Genisys, the Governor has always been extremely loyal and generous with his one-of-a-kind fan base. I had donated a few other times before in hopes of meeting my idol. Truthfully, I never really expected to win and was never really disappointed when I didn’t, because I love supporting causes Arnold gets behind, such as After School All Stars. Yet, there was always this small part inside of me that knew one day I would be able to meet Arnold in one way or another.
In October 2017, I took a two-week trip to California with my wife. Both of us had always wanted to drive south on the Pacific Coast Highway and experience the great views the California coastline has to offer. For me, it was a chance to map out a few Arnold pit stops that my wife graciously agreed to. I found some of these destinations on TheArnoldFans website and researched a few others on my own: Vivaldi’s Mansion from Last Action Hero, John Connor’s Foster Parents home from T2, Casa de Cadillac from Commando, Muscle Beach, the original Gold’s Gym, and of course Arnold’s star on the Walk of Fame. Little did I know, almost exactly a year later, I would be hanging with Arnold on the set of the new Terminator movie in Budapest.
***add t6
I was planning on donating to the Terminate Gerrymandering campaign, but again, I did not expect to win. I donated the day before the campaign was over - $10 in total. I knew it wasn’t much, but I also knew every dollar counts with fundraising efforts. Days later, they let me know that I was the winner, and that I would be going to Budapest to meet Arnold! There was an immediate flood of emotions inside and I thought, is this really happening? Still being at work, I had to suppress everything that I was feeling inside, but man was it hard!
The next day, I had a conference call with Daniel, Arnold’s Chief of Staff, and Lynn, who coordinates all of Arnold’s travel. We went over some of the contest details and got all the travel arrangements together. The trip was originally only for one person, but Arnold’s team was kind enough to allow me to bring my wife. This level of generosity blew me away, as neither of us had been to Europe before and our wedding anniversary was right around the corner. I knew this one would be impossible to top!
We flew out of Newark Airport via Austrian Airlines, en route to Vienna. Arnold’s team hooked us up with phenomenal seats on the flight. Extra leg room, extra wide seats, leg rests, and reclining seats up to 45 degrees – not to mention a 4 course meal! Once we landed in Vienna, it was a short 40 minute flight to Budapest, and I was one step closer to meeting Arnold!
The hotel we stayed in was absolutely stunning. The Gresham Palace has a very rich history and was built in 1904. It underwent a total renovation starting in 2001, after almost being demolished and falling into disarray after World War II. It was located directly on the Danube River and has a central location in Budapest. Arnold and his team stayed there during filming, and I can understand why that was their hotel of choice.
After a full day in Budapest and being up for 36 hours straight, I finally got to bed, knowing the next day would be the day I was going to tour the set and finally meet Arnold. It was the greatest night of sleep I ever had.
My cell phone rang at 7:30 AM and Walter, one of Arnold’s crew, was on the line. He let me know that a van would be picking us up at 11:00AM to bring us to the set. I leapt out of bed, had an amazing breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and took a quick shower to wake my ass up. A short time later, my ride was downstairs, and we were on our way.
I was on set for about 2-3 hours before I met Arnold. We had just finished touring a few of the auxiliary sets with producer John Kelly, and I was about to sit down for lunch, when someone came over and told me Arnold was asking for us. They said we could finish our lunch, but there was no way that was going to happen. At that point, meeting Arnold was all I could focus on. The food, and anything else for that matter, could wait!
As he was walking towards us, I again asked myself if this was really happening. I had watched all of Arnold’s movies, hundreds of times in total, and could not believe I was about to shake hands with my idol. There was so much going on within me, but I managed to stick out my hand and say “Governor, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you.”
We connected for about 20 minutes and covered various topics. In speaking with Arnold, he literally makes you feel like you are the only person in the room. The previous week, he had attended a number of rallies against Gerrymandering, spoke at the Bonnie Reis Memorial Lecture, went to the Alamo City Comic Con, and flew into Budapest that morning. I was amazed at his focus and energy, knowing the week he had just previously completed. At that point, I understood why he had been able to achieve every single goal he had sought up to that point in his life. His focus, drive, and attention to detail are unmatched.
We connected on and off for the rest of the day in-between him shooting scenes and attending to a few phone calls. Arnold called me onto the set to take pictures and made sure we had the best angles to capture everything that was happening at that point in the movie. He even went as far as to invite me into his director style chair on set so I could have the best view of what was happening.
Again, I was amazed on how much Arnold was going out of his way to make sure I had the best of everything. Let’s be serious, this is the former Governor of California, 7x Mr. Olympia, 5x Mr. Universe, and the greatest action hero of all time…. And he is making sure I have the most memorable experience of my life on set. UNREAL!
I can't give away any specifics about my time on set, but I can tell you that Arnold looks to be in phenomenal shape for the movie! In the 7+ hours I was there, they filmed 5 action sequences and the big sound stages and multiple auxiliary sets scream big budget blockbuster film!
In addition to spending time with Arnold and Producer John Kelly, I also got to meet Director Tim Miller and the new Terminator, Gabriel Luna. Gabe is a very funny and outgoing guy who practically introduced us to every single person who worked on the set. All were extremely kind, welcoming, and friendly. You could feel the family-like atmosphere they had set up throughout their time filming the movie. Linda Hamilton was also on set that day and she looks to be all business in the movie – just like in T2!
I was amazed at the level of detail that was put into every single aspect of each scene that was filmed. No detail, big or small, was being left unattended to. Taking all of these factors into account, this movie WILL NOT disappoint and the release date could not come soon enough!
After filming had ended for the day, I met Arnold again coming out of his trailer. He invited both of us to dinner for some authentic schnitzel at Kollazs, which was the restaurant at the hotel.
Once we got back, there were three other people at dinner: Walter, Dieter (another of Arnold’s crew who showed us around the set that day), and Tatiana who was a producer of Arnold’s upcoming movie with Jackie Chan, Viy 2. A gentleman as always, Arnold saved two seats for my wife and myself, right next to him.
True to his word, the schnitzel was amazing and tasted just as good as my grandmother’s, who was also an immigrant from Germany. Again we connected on various topics, including my career as a Physical Therapist, Arnold’s time as Governor, his current exercise routine, recovery from heart surgery, and some geography trivia. It may have been the fastest hour of my life, but definitely one of the most memorable.
Arnold had another appointment at 8pm when dinner ended, but before we parted he said, “I think we should work out together tomorrow morning.” What?!?! Was I going to workout with the greatest Mr. Universe/Olympia champion??? I responded, “Absolutely, let me know the time and I will be there.” Truth be told, I barely slept that night, but woke up the next day full of energy knowing this was going to be the greatest workout of my life!
At 6AM the next day, prior to filming, we loaded into Arnold’s Yukon Denali and headed over to Flex Gym, which is an old-school bodybuilding gym right across the river from the hotel. All the big stars work out there when filming in Budapest – Jamie Fox, Will Smith, and of course Arnold.
The owner, Adam, met us when we arrived and Arnold and I jumped right into a Chest and Back workout. We did super-sets of Seated Rows / Hammer Incline Bench, Lat pulldowns (one set behind the neck, one in front) / Chest Fly, Pullover Machine / Seated Calves, and Combo Crunch Machine for the upper and lower abdominals. There was no rest, and we got a sweet pump before Arnold went to film for the day. As in his training days during the Mr. Olympia competition, Arnold still works calves and abdominals, every day.
***add first photo
Arnold knew the best spots in the gym for photos, and we posed next to a mural of Arnold with Franco, a full size T-800, and other photo-ops throughout the workout. Arnold made sure my form was perfect and I even managed to count out a few of his reps in the small amount of German I knew.
Prior to leaving, Arnold signed my Arnold is Numero Uno t-shirt, and we parted ways. He said we should keep in touch, and I hope to meet up with him one day again.
Since Arnold was going to film for the day, Adam gave us a ride back to the hotel. I could never picture this happening in America, but the Hungarian people are extremely friendly and generous. Adam shared Arnold was not supposed to work out at the gym that morning and he believed Arnold made a special trip there for us… there he goes again with making this a special once in a life time experience.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about my time with Arnold, and if you are reading this, I would guess that you, too, are a fan of the Governor. I can tell you that Arnold is one of the most genuine, kind, generous, and down to earth people I have ever met. Despite all of his accomplishments and prestige, he made sure my wife and I had a memorable time in Budapest and I can tell you that it exceed all of my expectations. It was greater then I could have ever wished for.
Arnold does not like to consider himself a self-made man. Yes, he has worked extremely hard for the success he achieved, but he shared that there were a number of people who gave him advice, guided him, and motivated him to “be useful.”
He is the epitome of the American Dream and literally makes the most of every opportunity presented to him. I hope my sharing this story helps to inspire you to do the same and work towards the goals you work towards everyday. Arnold has taught me your biggest dreams can come true… if you are willing to put that work in. Get involved and STAY HUNGRY!
——
Congratulations of this amazing win, Michael! We look forward to hearing all the great Terminator set details when you’re allowed to share them a bit closer to the film’s release!