A&E biopic, "See Arnold Run,"
From foreign dreamer to fearless leader, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER's American tale is getting the TV-movie treatment. Tonight on ET, we're on the set of the upcoming A&E biopic "See Arnold Run" with MARIEL HEMINGWAY as MARIA SHRIVER!
"She wrote me a very nice note that said, 'Have a good time. I don't necessarily believe in this sort of thing but I hope you have a good time doing it,'" Mariel tells ET about what the first lady of California said to her.
"She's somebody I admire extremely," continues Mariel. "She really is such a force and so willing to put herself in the background, and yet still you can tell she's extremely powerful. It's really quite an honor to play somebody who really is, I think, in the forefront politically."
A&E's "See Arnold Run" takes on two parallel stories: Arnold's quest to win the Mr. Olympia title as a young bodybuilder and his highly publicized bid to become California's "Governator" in last year's recall election. German-born actor JURGEN PROCHNOW ('Das Boot,' 'Air Force One') plays the present-day Arnold on the campaign trail. The young, hungry Arnold is portrayed by ROLAND KICKINGER, himself a gap-toothed, Austrian bodybuilder best-known for his role on the "Baywatch"-skewering comedy "Son of the Beach."
"His life story is very inspiring," Roland tells ET, "and it's very similar actually to my life; being from Austria, coming over to America and looking for the American dream and following through."
Roland, who's known Arnold for several years and even used to work out with him at the gym, says the Governator knows that he's playing a younger version of himself in the movie. His advice? "Make sure you get paid a lot," Roland says with a smile.
An air date has not yet been announced for the muscle-bound biopic, which is currently in production
