Like many 20-somethings in California, Joseph Baena wants to be an actor. And he has one big advantage in that field: his dad is Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two have a close relationship, and in a new interview for the cover of Men’s Health, Baena shared the vital bits of advice Schwarzenegger has given him on how to advance his acting career.
An immigrant from Austria, Schwarzenegger eventually found a bodybuilding career, which led to landing his breakout role as Conan the Barbarian, which eventually led to movies like The Terminator, Predator, and Total Recall. Now, Baena is looking for the same sort of arc.
One piece of advice Arnold gave his son—whose mother is Mildred Baena, Schwarzenegger’s former housekeeper—was to find a mentor, which led Baena directly down his father’s path. When he was still in college at Pepperdine University, Baena got in touch with acting coach Eric Morris, who helped Schwarzenegger to a Golden Globe win (for Best Acting Debut, an award that is no longer given out) for the movie Stay Hungry, which stars Jeff Bridges.
Morris and Baena now work together 3 or 4 days a week.
“When Joseph first came to me, I called him Mr. Smiles-a-Lot,” Morris, 90, says. “That’s all he did onstage. Over time, though, he learned that it was okay to express his frustration, his anger, his vulnerability—he became more affectable and expressive.”
And while that mentorship is big, the most important bit of advice that Baena got from his dad is to approach acting like a workout. “Do the reps,” Schwarzenegger says. You have to put in the hours and the effort.
Baena himself was confused at first, but now understands—it’s just about putting in the work required. “I say the lines over and over again—with a scene partner, an acting coach, or just by myself—repeating, repeating, repeating until it’s muscle memory,” he says. “To a point where you can wash your clothes, do your dishes, basically do anything—and spit the lines out.”
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