Arnold Schwarzenegger “Didn’t Want to See Anyone for a Week” After Last Action Hero Flop

Arnold Schwarzenegger was an action icon in the ’80s and ’90s, but that doesn’t mean every film he starred in was a hit. After the success of the first two , Schwarzenegger ran into one of his first flops, a movie that underperformed at the box office and wasn’t a hit with critics. Though it has become a fan-favorite in the decades since, Last Action Hero couldn’t be seen as a success upon its release in 1993.

John McTiernan’s action comedy opened to just over $15 million at the domestic box office, and was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans. During the new Netflix documentary series , the beloved actor spoke about his reaction to that initial failure. He was dejected and didn’t want to speak to anyone for a few days.

“When Last Action Hero came out I had reached my peak after Terminator 2, having the most successful movie of the year worldwide,” Schwarzenegger said.

“I cannot tell you how upset that I was,” he added, addressing the negative reviews to Last Action Hero. “It hurts you. It hurts your feelings. It’s embarrassing.”

He later said, “I didn’t want to see anyone for a week. But you keep plodding along. And my mother-in-law also said this all the time: ‘Let’s just move forward.’ It’s a great message.”

The Arnold documentary also includes interviews with filmmaker James Cameron, who worked with Schwarzenegger on The Terminator and True Lies. He recalled speaking to Schwarzenegger after Last Action Hero struggled at the box office.

“He sounded like he was in bed crying,” Cameron said. “He took it as a deep blow to his brand. I think it really shook him. I said, ‘What are you gonna do?’ He said, ‘I’m just gonna hand out by myself.’ That’s the only time I’ve ever heard him down.”

Fortunately for Schwarzenegger, things picked up again after Last Action Hero was released. His next film was True Lies, the 1994 hit that reunited him with Cameron.

Arnold is now streaming on Netflix.