What are the best roles of Arnold Schwarzenegger's career?

10. Dr. Alex Hesse ('Junior')

Universal Pictures

This is the first film collaboration between Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito that we'll highlight. Sure, the premise of Arnold becoming pregnant while testing a fertility drug he invented along with colleague Dr. Larry Arborist (DeVito) is quite far-fetched. But, by 1994, fans would see Schwarzenegger in just about anything. However, there is still something charming about the movie, and Arnold was good enough to earn a Golden Globe nomination.

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9. DET. John nimble ('Kindergarten Cop')

Universal Pictures

The 1990s had dawned, and Schwarzenegger was part of Hollywood's elite. So, why not make a comedy where a massively built, tough-as-nails detective goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher to take down a drug dealer before he can get to his own wife and kid? At the time, the notion of Arnold in such a role seemed ridiculous. But the movie made more than $200 million internationally, and impressions of Schwarzenegger shouting "it's not a tumor" in his Austrian accent were running rampant

8. Douglas Quaid/Hauler ('Total Recall')

Carol co Pictures; Trista Pictures

If there's one Schwarzenegger picture that truly made audiences think, it's 1990s Total Recall. Though reviews were mixed for the highly anticipated film, it's actually one that ages quite well with a cult-like following. Schwarzenegger's Quaid is an every man construction worker who finds his mind altered through memory implantation with a Martian backdrop. There's plenty of action and intrigue when it comes to this sci-fi thriller, which also has viewers wondering until the end whether it's real or fantasy.

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7. Julius Benedict ('Twins')

Universal Studios

Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito first came together for this 1988 Ivan Reitman comedy hit. The duo play fraternal twins who were separated at birth but reunited as adults. DeVito's Vincent is street smart but a bit shifty. Meanwhile, Arnold's Julius is smart from an academic standpoint, but he's naive when it comes to the ways of the world. Their seemingly apples-to-oranges relationship is a fine source of comedy, but there are plenty of endearing qualities that made the movie a commercial hit.

6. Harry Tacker ('True Lies')

Twentieth Century Fox

While co-star Jamie Lee Curtis won a Golden Globe for her memorable performance as Harry's wife Helen in the 1994 James Cameron smash, Schwarzenegger is nearly as good in his role as a government agent who leads a double life as a spy and family man. Sure, the action is what's most memorable from this action thriller. Remember Curtis and Schwarzenegger hanging from a helicopter? But the relationship between Harry and Helen is an underrated element of the movie that was a big reason it made more than $375 million worldwide.

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5. Col. John Matrix ('Commando')

Twentieth Century Fox

By 1985, Schwarzenegger was a popular action star, and fans eagerly awaited for Commando to come out. The movie began a trend of Arnold playing similar roles, usually ex-military, then either being sent on a mission or undertaking one. In Commando, he tries to rescue his young daughter (Alyssa Milano), who was kidnapped. Not to mention, he was trying to avenge the deaths of his old military strike force. American moviegoers couldn't get enough of this stuff, and Arnold was more than willing to deliver.

4. Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer ('Predator')

Twentieth Century Fox

While Predator grew into a franchise of films, Schwarzenegger was there for just the original 1987 — and best — installment. A Vietnam War veteran and leader of a highly respected and resourceful military, rescue team, Dutch eventually finds himself in the jungle, taking on a chameleon-like alien creature that just wiped out his entire team. It's classic '80s action Arnold, filled with plenty of shooting, destruction, and cheesy one-liners ("stick around").

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3. Conan ('Conan the Barbarian'; 'Conan the Destroyer')

Universal Studios

Schwarzenegger's acting career was on the rise in the early 1980s, but 1982's Conan the Barbarian proved that he was ready to handle the responsibility of being a leading action star. Arnold was quite menacing as the barbarian warrior determined to seek revenge for those responsible for his parents' death. The film remains a cult classic, and while the sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984), didn't generate the same success, the role is still a defining moment in Schwarzenegger's acting career.

2. Terminator ('The Terminator')

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

If Conan essentially made Schwarzenegger a serious Hollywood talent, The Terminator turned him into an international action superstar. The seemingly unstoppable cybernetic killing machine thrown back in time to kill the woman who will give back to the world's savior earned Schwarzenegger icon status almost immediately upon the film's 1984 release. Arnold is simply terrifying as the bad guy, which gave us his memorable line "I'll be back" and opened the door for a seemingly endless franchise of films.

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1. "T-800" Terminator ('Terminator 2: Judgment Day')

Carol co Pictures; Trista Pictures

What's better than Arnold reprising his role as a Terminator? Playing a Terminator that's actually the good guy. As the updated "T-800" series, the Terminator looks the same as the original in this long-awaited, massively successful sequel from 1991. However, he learns, thanks to a young John Connor (Edward Furlong), about human emotions and that killing is not the answer when protecting the youth. While the action still reigns supreme, the Terminator's protective, newly developed and sacrificial side, is what makes this iconic character even better.