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There’s something inherently poetic about the muscle-clad man from Thal, Austria, who once dreamed of lifting not just weights but entire destinies. Indeed, we’re talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger: he isn’t just a name; it’s an emblem carved into the cultural psyche of America, stitched somewhere between the American Dream and a classic 80s VHS shelf.

Yes, he’s a US citizen, naturalized and fiercely patriotic, but that’s only the headline. The true story of how he came to America is laced with sweat-drenched ambition, immigrant wisdom, political metamorphosis, and cinematic firepower. From gym floors to gubernatorial forums, Schwarzenegger’s life is a paradox: equal parts muscle and mind.

As he said on The View, immigrants must treat the country like houseguests, “keep things clean.” That being said, let’s dissect how this Austrian oak planted himself firmly into American soil and why it matters now…...

It was thanks in part to Arnold Schwarzenegger that the former publisher of the National Enquirer knew he could get in trouble for the tabloid’s catch-and-kill policy and buying off salacious stories about Donald Trump.

Over objections from Trump’s defense team, ex-American Media CEO David Pecker poignantly Thursday told the judge, jurors, Trump himself and everyone else in a packed Manhattan courtroom he was aware he was violating election law in 2016 when he secretly bought Playboy playmate Karen McDougal’s story of an affair with Trump for $150,000. Admitting the purchase was entirely to kill the story, Pecker said that the primary purpose behind the payoff and others in a similar vein was to help the then-Celebrity Apprentice host’s presidential campaign.

Such tactics were nothing new for Pecker.

Under his deal with Schwarzenegger over 20 years ago, the former media executive said today, “I would call him and...

Franco Columbu, the Italian bodybuilding prodigy, and the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger forged a close friendship. The two dealt with everything after meeting in 1965, sticking by one another through good times and bad. But they each brought unique personalities to the table.

If boxing was Columbu’s background, then soccer was Schwarzenegger’s. In spite of this, their shared love of ‘bodybuilding’ served as the foundation for their friendship. Here’s an intriguing anecdote, though: Columbu trained Schwarzenegger’s fellow Hollywood veteran actor, Sylvester Stallone, for the film Rocky II.

Sylvester Stallone in Rocky films

When Franco challenged Stallone to a bench press competition, the actor accepted, but not before the latter tore his pec off the bone. This is where things got tricky. The injury happened 1.5 months before Stallone was supposed to appear and helm the Rocky sequel.

Well, you must hear him discuss how he turned the tide of events!

Adam Cooper’s directorial debut, Sleeping Dogs, follows a theme similar to Nolan’s Memento and even the Stan original, The Tourist. In this psychological thriller starring Russell Crowe, memories play a central role as a former cop with Alzheimer’s reopens a case from nearly ten years ago. We, as humans, are the culmination of all our past experiences—good and bad ones included. These experiences forge our character and make us the people we are. However, one can’t help but wonder who we would be if these memories were to be erased. For a bioscience graduate who has spent a semester writing a review article on this disorder, Alzheimer’s might just be my biggest nightmare. This disorder, at best, can be prevented, but there is no known cure, which makes it more understandable why Roy Freeman undergoes the painful procedure of getting electrodes implanted in his head.

Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger was recently seen lifting weights at the gym in Los Angeles just weeks before he celebrates his 76th birthday.

However, it’s clear to see he is still exercising like he’s training for Mr. Universe. He even got his exercise on his way to work riding his bike, reports mirror.co.uk.

The former governor of California was working out his arms as he sat on a workout bench using a workout machine. He paid no attention to other gym goers as he wore all black –a black t-shirt, black shorts, black slip-on trainers, and black calf-length socks.

In typical Terminator fashion, he also wore tinted sunglasses the entire time.

While biking, Arnold wore a blue zip-up jacket with an orange, red, and white emblem. He also seems to be keeping his hair a brunette colour while his beard and moustache seem to be naturally white.

Netflix's Arnold sees Schwarzenegger recall his experience watching the movie that changed his life and inspired his bodybuilding journey. Arnold's three episodes explore Arnold Schwarzenegger's journey from bodybuilding champion to unlikely movie stardom and even more unlikely political career. Arnie first got into bodybuilding as a young man, using it to transform his body and pursue his dreams of heading to America. Arnold displays his single-minded focus on becoming the "best," and how he helped bring the sport into the mainstream.

Of course, it also helped Schwarzenegger make the move into movies too. The charisma Arnold displayed in the documentary Pumping Iron helped him land roles like Conan The Barbarian, and from there he became one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Netflix's Arnold docuseries focuses on several key turning points in his life, but arguably one of the most important is when he went to...

Franco Columbu, a bodybuilder, boxer and actor who appeared in the films The Terminator and Conan the Barbarian alongside his close friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, has died. Columbu was 78.

The Italian star passed away Friday after drowning in his native Sardinia, The Associated Press reported.

He lived in Los Angeles, but had been vacationing in Sardinia when he fell ill while swimming. He was pronounced dead at a hospital in the city of Olbia.

Columbu was a former Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe. Schwarzenegger described him as his “best friend” in an online tribute.

“I love you Franco,” Schwarzenegger tweeted Friday. “I will always remember the joy you brought to my life, the advices you gave me, and the twinkle in your eye that never disappeared.”

The Hollywood legend and former California governor also shared a link to an essay he wrote on Medium about Columbu.

“From the minute we met in Munich,...

Exclusive: Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media has announced that George Gallo’s fitness pioneer pic Bigger about the Weider Brothers will hit all digital platforms and DVD on Jan. 15.

Joe & Ben Weider were the architects of muscle. Against all odds, they launched a fitness empire that included the Mr. Olympia competition and along the way discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bigger, which had a theatrical release back in October, stars Tyler Hoechlin as the young Joe Weider, Julianne Hough as his wife Betty, who was instrumental in the brothers’ fitness franchise, and Aneurin Barnard as Ben Weider. Victoria Justice, Colton Haynes, Max Martini, Tom Arnold, Steve Guttenberg, Calbum Von Moger, DJ Qualls, with Kevin Durand, and Robert Forster also star.

“There is far more to this film that one would ever expect, it’s a rich and layered tale that is a true triumph of the spirit,” says producer Steve Lee Jones...

Horatio Alger stories don’t get much more archetypal than fitness pioneer Joe Weider’s: scrawny Jewish child of the Depression learns to defend himself from schoolyard prejudice by strengthening himself, then turns the world on to the healthy effects of weight-training and bodybuilding, and ultimately creates a fitness empire.

Movie material, right? Kid who got sand kicked in his face, like in that old cartoon, becomes the ripped dude with the hot girlfriend. And Weider actually did marry a blonde ’50s pin-up queen, Betty Brosmer. On top of that, in the late 1960s, he nurtured an Austrian nobody named Arnold Schwarzenegger to worldwide glory on the Mr. Olympia/Mr. Universe circuit. How could this story not work as a flex-and-pecs, flab-to-slab biopic of singular American success?

I don’t know, but “Bigger,” director and co-writer George Gallo’s movie of Weider’s trajectory, is a missed opportunity, the kind...

Bigger Trailer George Gallo‘s Bigger (2018) movie trailer stars Tyler Hoechlin, Julianne Hough, Aneurin Barnard, Kevin Durand, and Victoria Justice. Bigger‘s plot synopsis: “The fathers of the fitness industry Joe and Ben Weider battle anti-Semitism, conventional wisdom and extreme poverty to launch the fitness industry as we know it. Along the way they champion women’s rights, [...]

Continue reading: Bigger (2018) Movie Trailer: Bodybuilding Pioneers Ben & Joe Weider Create Mr. Olympia...

"How would you like to be the face of bodybuilding?" Freestyle Releasing has debuted an official trailer for an indie biopic titled Bigger, from filmmaker George Gallo. The film tells the story of the grandfathers of fitness as we now know it, Joe & Ben Weider. Facing anti-Semitism and extreme poverty, the brothers beat all odds to build an empire and inspire generations. Along the way, they discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger and founded bodybuilding as a sport. This stars Tyler Hoechlin as Joe Weider, plus Julianne Hough, Kevin Durand, Colton Haynes, Victoria Justice, DJ Qualls, Steve Guttenberg, Robert Forster, Aneurin Barnard, Max Martini, Tom Arnold, along with Calum Von Moger as a young Arnold. This doesn't look as good as it should, and seems a bit oddly timed to focus on the "impeccable man" in this day and age. Isn't machoism becoming a bit old fashioned? I'd rather watch a documentary about body builders.

Exclusive: Tyler Hoechlin is boarding Can You Keep a Secret?, BCDF Pictures’ romantic comedy that stars and is executive produced by San Andreas star Alexandra Daddario.

Can You Keep a Secret? is based on Sophie Kinsella’s four-million-copy New York Times bestseller and centers around Emma Corrigan (Daddario) who spills her secrets to a handsome stranger sitting next to her on a turbulent plane ride. That guy happens to be Jack Harper, who Hoechlin will play, the young and elusive CEO at Emma’s workplace. And Jack knows every single humiliating detail about Emma…

Hoechlin was recently seen as the co-lead of The Domestics for MGM and will next be seen playing Joe Weider, a co-pioneer of American fitness who discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger, in George Gallo’s Bigger. Hoechlin’s previous credits also include Fifty Shades Freed, Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some and MTV’s hit series Teen Wolf.

Exclusive: Freestyle Releasing has acquired U.S. theatrical distribution rights to George Gallo’s Bigger which tells the tale of how brothers Joe and Ben Weider launched a fitness empire and along the way discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bigger will have its U.S. premiere on September 13 in Las Vegas to coincide with the Mr. Olympia competition that was created by the Weider brothers, and will be in theaters on October 12.

Tyler Hoechlin plays Joe Weider and Aneurin Barnard portrays brother Ben. Victoria Justice is Kathy, Joe Weider’s first wife and Julianne Hough is his other spouse, pin-up Betty Weider, with whom he launched Shape magazine. Robert Forster and DJ Qualls also star. Calum Von Moger plays Schwarzenegger.

Bee Holder Productions chief Steve Lee Jones produces with Scott Lastaiti. Camila Castro and Eric Weider are executive producing. Bigger was written by Gallo, Brad and Ellen Furman, and Andy Weiss (the...

There's an interesting new movie in development called Bigger, which tells the story of Joe and Ben Weider, who are the founders of the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest. As you'd imagine, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be a big part of that story since he was a part of all around the time when it first started in 1965.

The brothers, who co-founded the International Federation of Bodybuidling, discovered Schwarzenegger and encouraged him to come to the U.S. Prior to being a blockbuster action star and Governor of California, Schwarzenegger was a seven-time Mr. Olympia-title holder. Back in 1972, the Weider brothers sold a nutritional supplement, Weider Formula No. 7, that featured a young Arnold Schwarzenegger on the label.

Director George Gallo has cast the man who will play Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie and that man is Calum Von Moger, who is 2014's Mr. Universe champion. He will join the previously cast Tyler Hoechlin...

Exclusive: Victoria Justice and Colton Haynes have boarded George Gallo’s Bigger about fitness forefathers the Weider Brothers. Actress-singer Justice who has made her mark in in Fox’s Rocky Horror Picture Show, Nickelodeon’s Victorious and Blumhouse/MTV’s Eye Candy, will portray Kathy, Joe Weider's (Tyler Hoechlin) first wife. Haynes will play the role of iconic fitness guru Jack Lalanne, who during the 1950s and ’60s was known for his incredible feats of strength, like…...

Exclusive: Julianne Hough is set to portray female fitness pioneer Betty Weider in George Gallo’s upcoming feature Bigger. A pin-up model who became a leading role model for women in diet and fitness, Betty Weider was the wife of Joe Weider, and together they co founded Shape magazine, which remains the most successful women’s health and fitness publication today. Bigger tells the story of the Weider brothers, who rose from poverty to create the Mr. Olympia competition…...

Exclusive: Dunkirk‘s Aneurin Barnard and The Strain‘s Kevin Durand are boarding George Gallo’s bodybuilding guru pic Bigger. Pic follows the rags to riches tale of the grandfathers of the fitness movement, the Weider brothers. Barnard takes on the role of Ben Weider, brother to the iconic Joe Weider, played by Tyler Hoechlin, who was the brains of the fitness empire. Durand will portray the brother's foreboding nemesis, fitness magazine publisher Bill Hauk. Steve Lee…...

Exclusive: Bad Boys and Midnight Run scribe George Gallo is set to direct his ninth feature Bigger about bodybuilding pioneer brothers Joe and Ben Weider, who against all odds, battled poverty and anti-Semitism to create the fitness industry as we know it. Tyler Hoechlin from Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some, MTV’s Teen Wolf and MGM’s upcoming The Domestics will play Joe Weider, who discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger and founded the International Federation of…...

Eleanor Parker, who was famous for her role as Baroness Elsa Schraeder in ‘The Sound of Music’, has died at age 91.

Oscar-nominated actress Eleanor Parker passed away on Dec. 9 due to complications from pneumonia, her family friend Richard Gale announced.

Eleanor Parker Dead — ‘Sound Of Music’s Baroness Elsa Schraeder Dies At 91

Eleanor’s friend Richard told the Associated Press that she ”passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children at a medical facility near her home in Palm Springs.”

We’re sorry to see Eleanor go but so grateful that she lived such an amazing and full life!

The stunning red-headed actress, who was such a versatile star that she was dubbed the “Woman of a Thousand Faces,” was nominated for three Academy Awards in her life. She received the nods for her performances as a prison inmate in 1951′s Caged, as Kirk Douglas‘ wife in 1952′s Detective Story, and...

After Nelson Mandela died on Dec. 5 at the age of 95, President Obama, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, and a bevy of celebrities are remembering the beloved former South African president’s amazing legacy.

The world is heartbroken after Nelson Mandela sadly passed away on Dec.5, 2013 at home in Houghton, South Africa. The revolutionary leader — who had been suffering from a recurring lung infection and was frequently in the hospital over the last year — will never be forgotten. Nelson has touched so many lives, including that of former professional boxer Muhammad Ali, who released a touching statement praising the late leader on Dec. 5.

Nelson Mandela’s Death — President Obama & Celebrities React

Muhammad expressed his admiration for Nelson and the impact he had on the world, saying:

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Mandela. His was a life filled with purpose and hope; hope for himself, his country and the world.

The world has lost two great souls this week: former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died on Dec. 5 at the age of 95, and actor Paul Walker, who tragically died in a fiery car crash at age 40. They will both be missed.

Fans are taking to Twitter to remember the late Nelson Mandela and the late Paul Walker in joint tributes. Sure, Nelson and Paul may seem like an unlikely pairing. Nelson obviously made an incomparable impact on the world — but every act of kindness counts, and Paul definitely tried to make a difference through his disaster-relief charity Reach Out Worldwide.

Paul Walker & Nelson Mandela’s Death — Fans Pay Joint Tribute On Twitter

Fans of Paul and Nelson alike tweeted their sorrow over losing two wonderful people in one short week.

We’ve lost so many amazing souls this past year, my prayers are with their families. R.I.P Cory Monteith,...

So sad. The former South African president died on Dec. 5 at the age of 95. He will be greatly missed. The current president Jacob Zuma announced the passing at 8:50pm local time in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela sadly passed away on Dec.5, 2013 at home in Houghton, South Africa. He had been suffering from a recurring lung infection and was frequently in the hospital over the last year. The revolutionary leader fought passionately against the injustice of apartheid and later dedicated himself to bringing the South African nation together peacefully after apartheid was abolished. He leaves behind an incredible legacy and will not be forgotten.

Nelson Mandela Dead — ‘Will Sleep for Eternity’

In an interview for the documentary, Mandela (1996), Nelson said, “Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I...

This weekend, The Lincoln Lawyer director Brad Furman sees his new thriller Runner Runner hit theaters, but opening up against Gravity, it doesn't stand much of a chance for a top spot at the box office. But Furman is already lined up for his next project as Deadline reports he has signed on to write and direct a bodybuilding drama called Bigger. The story will follow real-life Weider brothers, who went from being the sons of poor Jewish immigrants to icons in the meathead world. Joe Weider went on to create the Mr. Olympia competition and mentored muscleman turned action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, not to mention co-founding the International Federation of Bodybuilders with his brother Ben. More below! It's a rags to riches story as the two battled anti-Semitism in their younger years and became international health and fitness giants, eventually creating a line of supplements, fitness magazines and multiple bodybuilding competitions.

The buzz surrounding “Runner Runner” may not be all that great as it gears up for its premiere this weekend, but director Brad Furman has already moved on to “bigger” things. Furman, who previously directed “The Lincoln Lawyer,” has signed on to write and direct “Bigger.” The film will tell the story of bodybuilding icon Joe Weider, the man responsible for the creation of the Mr. Olympia competition and who mentored Arnold Schwarzenegger, a seven-time Mr. Olympia champion. “Bigger” also concerns brother Ben Weider, who co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding with Joe in 1946. The project’s been set up at Bee Holder Productions and will be based on the Weider brothers’ biography, “Brothers of Iron,” which chronicles their rise. [Deadline] While Furman begins to flex his muscles, director Kevin Reynolds (“Hatfields & McCoys,” “Waterworld”) is about to go all biblical on us. Reynolds hasn’t directed a feature film in seven...

Brad Furman has signed on to write and direct the upcoming biopic titled Bigger.

The film will tell the true story of Ben Weider and Joe Weider, who created the Mr. Olympia competition and co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding in 1946. It chronicles the rags-to-riches story of the Jewish immigrants, who also mentored on of the most famous bodybuilders of all time Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Aside from being bodybuilders, the duo grew their business to include a supplement line, fitness magazines, the Ms. Olympia and Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests. The project is based on the brother's memoirs titled Brothers of Iron, which was released in 2006.

Ben Weider died in 2008 followed by his brother back in March of this year. Bee Holder Productions' Steve Lee Jones will be producing with Eric Weider. No production details have been released.

Director Brad Furman is lining up another project. The filmmaker’s latest pic, Runner, Runner, opens in theaters this coming Friday, and Deadline reports that Furman has now signed on to write and direct Bigger for Bee Holder Productions. The film tells the story of the bodybuilding brothers Joe and Ben Weider. Joe created the Mr. Olympia competition and acted as a mentor for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and together with Ben he co-founded the International Federation of Body Builders. The two built their empire from scratch, having grown up in poverty as the sons of Jewish immigrants. Bee Holder has acquired the screen rights to the brothers’ biography Brothers of Iron, which will be used as a reference for the feature film. In addition to Bigger, Furman is also attached to direct the two-part pilot for the James Patterson drama series adaptation Private. Hit the jump to read the synopsis for Brothers of Iron.

Who could possibly be upset at amassing a $35 million fortune in their lifetime? Bodybuilding icon Joe Weider ... 'cause he should be worth Wayyyyy more than that. TMZ has obtained Weider's will -- filed with the court after he passed away in March at the age of 93. According to the docs, Weider's estate was worth $35 mil. So, why is the $35 million smackeroos a bit of a disappointment?? Allow us to explain:  First, Weider was the undisputed...

The legendary critic died April 4 in Chicago.

Roger Ebert, the first film critic to ever win a Pulitzer Prize, died April 4 after battling both cancer of the thyroid and salivary gland, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Best known for his influential reviews and his multiple television shows — including At The Movies, which he co-hosted with Gene Siskel, who was later replaced by Richard Roeper in 2000, following Gene’s death — Roger left an undeniable imprint in the film industry.

Roger Ebert’s Cancer: How He Battled The Deadly Diseases

Roger’s health had been in decline in recent years. He was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, at which point he began radiation treatment for tumors found on his thyroid and salivary gland. He resumed work in 2006, though reviews were staggered. He also lost part of his lower jaw in 2006, rendering him unable to speak or eat, though doctors did what they could to reconstruct his mouth.

Bodybuilding guru who built up a fitness empire and helped Arnold Schwarzenegger break into show business

Ben and Joe Weider turned bodybuilding into a worldwide phenomenon: part sport, part beauty pageant and part lifestyle. The younger brother, Ben, expanded their International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, in their home town of Montreal, into a hugely profitable outfit and also became a philanthropist and renowned Napoleonic scholar. Joe, more flamboyant and a relentless self-promoter sometimes accused by rivals of harbouring a Napoleon complex, moved to California, where he kept the various Weider enterprises in the public eye. Joe has died aged 93.

It was Joe who, in 1968, brought a relatively unknown Austrian bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to Los Angeles. His repeated success in the Weiders' Mr Olympia contest led Schwarzenegger into show business and by starring in the film Stay Hungry (1976) and the documentary Pumping Iron (1977), he put himself, and bodybuilding, on the map.

Join us today, Tuesday, and Wednesday for a Days of Our Lives liveblog with snicks providing all the commentary on all things WilSon.

Jared Leto was asked what the weirdest thing a fan has ever sent him, and he had a heck of an answer – an ear. A fan “cut their ear off once and sent it to me… A whole ear. The Van Gogh move.” If you think that's weird, it's nothing compared to the fact that Leto poked a hole in it and wore it as a necklace.

GLAAD has announced that they are officially changing their name – sort of. GLAAD will simply be known as "GLAAD," dropping the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation expansion as part of their affirmation towards advocating more for the rights of transgender person and bisexuals.

The Croods had a better box office than expected with $44 million, as did Olympus Has Fallen with $30.5 million.

On Saturday, Mar. 23, the world lost Joe Weider, the creator of the bodybuilding empire that founded Arnold Schwarzenegger, after he died from heart failure. Now celebs are taking to Twitter to remember him.

At 93, Joe Weider sadly passed away on Saturday, but the world is not yet moving on. Celebrities have begun tweeting their sadness and condolences to the king of bodybuilding. It all began with an official statement from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Joe Weider created a full empire; he created dietary supplements, competitive muscle-building contests and several muscle magazines – Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Men’s Fitness and Shape.

Even though he’s passed away, he will be remembered for not all the great things he did, but all the great people he influenced.

Celebs’ Twitter Reactions To Joe’s Death

Arnold was one of many to use social media to express how much Joe would be missed. In addition to a full statement,...

So sad. The man who discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger and founded a bodybuilding empire passed away on Saturday, Mar. 23 from heart failure.

Joe Weider, revolutionary founder of a bodybuilding empire, died from heart failure in Los Angeles, California on Mar. 23. He was 93 years old.

Joe Weider: Bodybuilding King Passes Away At 93

Joe, born in Montreal, Canada, became obsessed with bodybuilding after reading an article in “Strength and Health” as a teenager. He went on to revolutionize bodybuilding culture by creating several muscle magazines – Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Men’s Fitness, Shape — dietary supplements, and competitive muscle-building contests that turned the hobby into a sport like Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia.

Joe’s magazines garnered a readership of over 25 million by featuring bulked up celebs like Sylvester Stallone, Cher, and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He became Arnold’s mentor — it was Joe who brought Arnold to the United States in 1968, giving...

Weightlifter who helped popularise bodybuilding around the world remembered as a 'hero' by the former California governor

Joe Weider, a legendary figure in bodybuilding who helped popularise the sport worldwide and played a key role in introducing a charismatic young weightlifter named Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world, died Saturday at age 93.

Weider's publicist, Charlotte Parker, told the Associated Press that the bodybuilder, publisher and promoter died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

"I knew about Joe Weider long before I met him," Schwarzenegger, who tweeted the news of his old friend's death, said in a lengthy statement posted on his website. "He was the godfather of fitness who told all of us to be somebody with a body. He taught us that through hard work and training we could all be champions."

A bodybuilder with an impressive physique himself, Weider became better known in...

Los Angeles — Joe Weider, a legendary figure in bodybuilding who helped popularize the sport worldwide and played a key role in introducing a charismatic young weightlifter named Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world, died Saturday. He was 93.

Weider's publicist, Charlotte Parker, told The Associated Press that the bodybuilder, publisher and promoter died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

"I knew about Joe Weider long before I met him," Schwarzenegger, who tweeted the news of his old friend's death, said in a lengthy statement posted on his website. "He was the godfather of fitness who told all of us to be somebody with a body. He taught us that through hard work and training we could all be champions."

A bodybuilder with an impressive physique himself, Weider became better known in later years as a behind-the-scenes guru to the sport.

He popularized bodybuilding and spread the...

London, Mar h 24: Arnold Schwarzenegger's mentor Joe Weider has passed away due to heart failure in Los Angeles. He was 93, his publicist said.

Weider was the man who launched Schwarzenegger's Hollywood career.

The Bodybuilding guru was the creator of the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest and also built a magazine empire that included publications like Muscle and Fitness, Shape and Men's Fitness, the BBC reported.

The 'Conan the Barbarian' Star paid tribute to the man he called "the godfather of fitness," on his website and said that he encouraged him throughout his career.

The 65-year-old wrote, "He.

Legendary fitness icon Joe Weider -- who mentored Arnold Schwarzenegger during his body building days and built a vast fitness empire -- died of heart failure today at age 93. After his passing, Arnold released a statement, saying, "Joe didn’t just inspire my earliest dreams; he made them come true the day he invited me to move to America to pursue my bodybuilding career. I will never forget his generosity."Weider was a god in...

Not a superhero anymore: Citing "recent events," producers have given up on Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed animated franchise, just a month after the star announced it to much fanfare. Plus:

Michelle Cottle on 7 easy tips for horny politicians Arnold Schwarzenegger's love-child memes Jacob Bernstein: Behind Arnold's deception Photos: Celebrities who slept with the nanny

Arnold's 'Governator' Canned

Related story on The Daily Beast: The Salesman Obama Needs

More time for him to get his personal life in order: The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger's planned animated series, has been canceled, because of recent revelations of his secret love child. The producers were already selling broadcast rights before news of the scandal broke, but no episodes have yet appeared on television. A Squared Entertainment spokesperson said it made the decision after Schwarzenegger announced Thursday that he was putting his acting career on hold to focus on his personal life. However,...

RadarOnline revealed Tuesday night the woman who is allegedly the mother of former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's secret child. The woman worked for Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, for 20 years and reportedly has a son by him. Other reports allege there is a second illegitimate child for Schwarzenegger-now a high-school senior.

The Daily Beast's Jacob Bernstein reports the governor would mock Maria Shriver's weight-and had a possible secret deal with the National Enquirer.Plus:• Jacob Bernstein on why Maria left• Susan Cheever on the larger trend of older couples who separate• Bruce Henderson: Arnold pardoned my son's attacker

Related story on The Daily Beast: The Salesman Obama Needs

If there was anything really shocking about the revelation that Arnold Schwarzenegger had fathered a love child, it's that the revelation was a revelation at all.

Gallery: Stars With Children Out of Wedlock

Schwarzenegger's reputation as a womanizer...

Slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and feisty football commentator John Madden are among those entering the California Hall of Fame.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver will induct 13 people into the hall after a red carpet walk Tuesday night.Among those attending the event are Lucas and Madden, actress Carol Burnett, author Danielle Steel, bodybuilding pioneer Joe Weider and Air Force test pilot Gen. Chuck Yeager.Their profiles will be displayed for the next year at The California Museum in Sacramento, along with memorabilia of their achievements.They include Star Wars droids R2-D2 and C-3Po, legislation by inductee Gov. Hiram Johnson creating suffrage, recall and referendum and Madden's 1977 Super Bowl trophy.

The slain gay rights activist Sean Penn played in Milk is set for a major California honour - he's among the 13 heroes and celebrities who will be inducted into the state's Hall of Fame.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver put forward Harvey Milk as a 2009 hall candidate on Tuesday.

Ironically, Schwarzenegger was criticised last year after he vetoed legislation to proclaim Milk's 22 May birthday an official date of significance.

Milk was among the first openly gay men elected to public office in the state. The former San Francisco supervisor was assassinated by a rival in 1978.

Schwarzenegger has also selected his bodybuilding mentor Joe Weider, actress Carol Burnett and beloved former U.S. TV sports pundit John Madden for the state's Hall of Fame honour.

"Star Wars" creator George Lucas, TV icon Carol Burnett and NFL broadcasting legend John Madden will be among this year's inductees to the California Hall of Fame.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver unveiled the class of 2009 inductees Tuesday, saying they "embody California's innovative spirit and have made their mark on history."

Other inductees include Harvey Milk, the slain San Francisco politician and gay rights activist whose story was told in the Oscar-nominated biopic "Milk," and test pilot Chuck Yeager, who was portrayed in the 1983 film "The Right Stuff."

Also named to the California Hall on Tuesday were author Danielle Steel, Olympic decathlon champion and philanthropist Rafer Johnson, former Intel chief executive Andrew Grove, former Gov. Hiram Johnson, industrialist Henry Kaiser, philanthropist and peace activist Joan Kroc, bodybuilder and Schwarzenegger mentor Joe Weider and artist Fritz Scholder.

The nominees will be inducted in a Dec. 1 ceremony at the California Museum in Sacramento.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign to become Governor of California has hit another stumbling block - he's been labeled a supporter of South Africa's crumbled apartheid system. According to journalist Matt Drudge, American network ABC has scrapped a taped interview with Rick Wayne, a bodybuilding friend of Schwarzenegger's, in which he claims the Terminator star made racist comments. Drudge claims two weeks ago Wayne gave ABC News an interview the network "deemed too hot to touch" - in which he "accused Arnold Schwarzenegger of some very serious things". Wayne reportedly revealed Schwarzenegger made a disparaging prediction during the 1980s about what would happen to South Africa if blacks took over the government. The actor is said to have stated, "If you give these blacks a country to run, they would run it down the tubes." A spokesman for Schwarzenegger's campaign has since told Drudge the actor's "memory was fuzzy" about the episode. Just days ago, California's San Jose Mercury News carried similar quotes from the friend, who is African-American. The publication reported, "Wayne said Schwarzenegger defended the apartheid system and argued that white South Africans could not turn power over to black South Africans without ruining the nation." Wayne told the paper, "At the time, I just thought he was an out-and-out racist." Wayne also told the News that "he watched Schwarzenegger upset Jewish friend Joe Weider to the point of tears with his crass jokes, which included doing an impression of (Adolf) Hitler". But Wayne said he later came to accept the remarks as part of Austrian-born Schwarzenegger's sense of humor. He explained, "Today I don't necessarily think he's a racist. How are you a racist and have a black guy as your friend?"...