Arnold Schwarzenegger Sends Special Message to Clint Eastwood on Icon’s 93rd Birthday

Honoring a legend’s milestone. Clint Eastwood turned 93 on May 31, and his longtime friend Arnold Schwarzenegger has recognized his mentor and inspiration as he celebrates the occasion. Schwarzenegger, 75, posted a photo of himself and Eastwood skiing together on Instagram Wednesday and wrote, “Happy birthday, Clint! You’ve inspired me, you’ve mentored me, and you’re a wonderful friend. At 93, you prove that heroes don’t retire — they reload.” The Terminator star added, “You’re a legend.” In the former California governor’s birthday tribute, he reused a photo he shared in December 2019, writing, “Name a more iconic duo. I’ll wait.” It seems to be a fond memory the two actors share.

Eastwood is a well-respected actor and an award-winning director who maintained a consistent career over the years. He starred in and directed Cry Macho in 2021 and is also expected to direct Juror #2, which will star Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, and Kiefer Sutherland. Like Schwarzenegger, Eastwood was also a public servant, serving two years in office as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, during the 1980s. According to the Los Angeles Times in 2021, when asked if he would continue acting, “What the hell am I still working for in my 90s? Are people going to start throwing tomatoes at you? I’ve gotten to the point where I wondered if that was enough, but not to the point where I decided it was. If you roll out a few turkeys, they’ll tell you soon enough.” Eastwood said at the time regarding directing, “If something comes along where the story itself, the telling of it, is fun, I’m open to it. … The whole point of directing was something you can do as an older guy.”

Schwarzenegger told Reuters in 2013 that Eastwood “is a big idol of mine and I always like to learn from him.” In 2011, Schwarzenegger told The Hollywood Reporter that he hoped to emulate Eastwood’s success by pursuing a similar career trajectory. “In the future I have to adapt my roles to my age,” he said. “Clint Eastwood also has done it in the same way. Extreme fighting or shooting is not possible anymore. I want to be more encouraged as an actor and I believe that I can manage this challenge. I am like a sponge, which is absorbing all the knowledge and always be willing to learn all new things.” Schwarzenegger is currently starring in the Netflix action-comedy series FUBAR.