Arnold Schwarzenegger Never Wanted to Say Famous 'I'll Be Back' Tagline: 'It Sounded Stupid'

The actor and former California governor spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his iconic line from the cult 1984 sci-fi flick, The Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line "I'll be back" is almost as famous as Arnold Schwarzenegger — but it nearly never happened!

In an interview published Tuesday with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor and former California governor recalled how the iconic line from his 1984 sci-fi flick The Terminator "was an accident."

"[James] Cameron and I were debating how to say the line because I was not comfortable with saying 'I'll,' " Schwarzenegger, 75, recalled of his conversation with the director, who went on to make Titanic and Avatar. "I said, 'I think it's stronger to say, 'I will be back.' "

According to the former bodybuilder, who is making his TV series debut in the upcoming FUBAR, Cameron replied, "Are you the scriptwriter now? It's just one word. Don't tell me how to write. I don't tell you how to act."

Schwarzenegger said he shot back saying how he told him how to act "every f------ minute!"

Taking a different approach, Cameron explained himself. "Arnold, you think it sounds weird. It doesn't. What makes it great is that you sound different than me or Charlie over there. That's what makes it work."

Related:Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars in FUBAR, His First Scripted Live-Action TV Show — See the Teaser

He told him "just say it 10 times. Say it different ways. I'll keep rolling the camera. Then we'll choose one."

"So they set it up, and I say: '(Flatly) I'll be back … (cheerful) I'll be back! … (guttural) I'll beeee baaaack …' " Schwarzenegger recounted. "It sounded stupid."

Fans sure didn't see it that way. Schwarzenegger's delivery of "I'll be back" catapulted the line into the pop culture zeitgeist, where it has remained for nearly four decades. He's even repeated it (or a version of it) in at least a dozen movies since, including The Last Action Hero, Kindergarten Cop and his many Terminator sequels.

Popularity of the line was nearly instant, Schwarzenegger told THR. "The movies comes out. I'm in Central Park. This guy comes up and says, 'Say the line!' " he remembered.

In fact, he had been skiing in Aspen just a few days before the THR interview, "and the concierge comes up asking me to say the line."

"So that's where it started and where it ended up," Schwarzenegger's said. "It's wild."

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Related:Arnold Schwarzenegger: I'll Be Back — to Act

Now the entertainer-turned-politician is literally back — in his new action-comedy series debuting May 25 on Netflix.

In a first-look teaser dropped in February, the actor showed off his famous muscles while playing a CIA operative whose family gets in the way of his duties.

"Everywhere I go, people ask me when I'm going to do another big action comedy like True Lies," Schwarzenegger said in a statement about his first scripted live-action role on television. "Well, here it is. FUBAR will kick your ass and make you laugh — and not just for two hours. You get a whole season."

In the trailer, Schwarzenegger plays a cigar-chomping, motorcycle-riding agent named Luke whose exploits prove equal parts thrilling and silly.

"I'm back, baby," he said during a chase scene.

Jay Baruchel, Fortune Feimster, Milan Carter, Travis Van Winkle, Gabriel Luna, Andy Buckley, Aparna Brielle, Barbara Eve Harris and Fabiana Udenio also star in the eight-episode series from creator, producer and showrunner Nick Santora.

As for The Terminator franchise, however, Schwarzenneger said in Tuesday's interview he won't be back (for now).

"I'm done. I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to The Terminator," he said. "Someone has to come up with a great idea. The Terminator was largely responsible for my success, so I will always look at it very fondly. The first three movies were great."

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