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Eimear Flanagan and Hayley HalpinBBC News NI
PressEye/Ulster University
Arnold Schwarzenegger received an honorary degree from Ulster University
He said he would be back and now, decades after he came to Belfast as a young bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to the city for a special honour.
Ulster University (UU) rolled out the red carpet for Schwarzenegger on Monday and conferred an honorary degree on the Hollywood-star-turned-politician.
The university said the doctorate is in recognition of his contributions to public service, environmental advocacy and the arts.
Schwarzenegger told the event his first visit to Belfast in 1966 was a "breakthrough" moment for him because it was the first time he was invited to speak in public.
Getty Images
The UU said the Belfast reception "carries a personal significance" for Schwarzenegger, coming 60 years after his first visit to the city
The Austrian-born film star said he could not speak English at the time and "nearly fainted" when he was asked to address the crowd at a bodybuilding event.
He managed to mutter a few words with the help of his host, and was thrilled to receive a standing ovation from the crown for his efforts.
"What happened that day in Belfast was so important to me because every single time afterwards when I won a competition I went to the microphone," he recalled.
"Each time I said more and more and more, and eventually they couldn't shut me up, I love talking so much in public."
'Tricked' into giving speech
The Terminator star was invited to meet students and athletes at UU's campus in Belfast city centre.
His first visit in 1966 followed an invitation from a local bodybuilding judge.
He arrivedpenniless but was given a warm welcome by his hosts, when he was allowed to bunk up in the judge's house in Dundonald and was treated to an Ulster fry.
Schwarzenegger joked that he was "tricked" into coming back to Belfast during a video call with UU's chancellor and vice-chancellor several months ago.
The film star said he was asked by the UU representatives if he still believed in free speech, to which he replied: "Of course I do."
His hosts then replied: "Good, you are going to give one on 30 March in Belfast."
"So I was tricked, I couldn't get out of it anymore," Schwarzenegger laughed.
Red carpet reception for star
The red carpet was rolled out for Schwarzenegger at UU's Belfast campus
Some of students spoke of their surprise to see the Terminator star in their university.
"I can't believe he's here, of all places," said Niamh.
"It's kind of random, but it's kind of crazy," said her friend Sinead.
Robert remembers watching Schwarzenegger's films as a child and arrived hoping to get an autograph.
"I've never met someone so big," he said.
"In my eyes, I feel like it's a big deal not just for the city, but for the country to have such a global icon come here."
Students lined an atrium in the UU building hoping to catch a glimpse of the guest
An honorary doctorate is the highest honour UU can bestow and is awarded to inspirational people who have made an outstanding impact in their field.
"Few individuals have shaped global culture across sport, film and public life in the way that Dr Arnold Schwarzenegger has," said the UU's vice-chancellor Prof Paul Bartholemew. o
"He built a name for himself in professional bodybuilding and acting and he used that platform for ultimate good."
He described Schwarzenegger as a powerful advocate "for the environment, for the people of California and for the philanthropic causes he champions".
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Roy Smyth/Belfast Telegraph
Arnold Schwarzenegger pictured with 22-year-old Sandra Burrows (left) from Belfast and 20-year-old Deirdre Cullen from Dunmurry outside the Belfast Telegraph building in 1966
A 19-year-old Schwarzenegger was competing at a Mr Universe competition in London in 1966.
Although he did not get the title, finishing second, he did catch the attention of the judges, including Ivan Dunbar, a prominent figure in the bodybuilding scene in Northern Ireland at the time.
In an interview on the chat show Anderson On The Box in 1995, Dunbar said the bodybuilder had great charisma.
He gave Schwarzenegger some advice after the competition and invited him to take part in a bodybuilding show in Belfast.
When he arrived, Dunbar said he had no money and could not speak English.
"He didn't have anything except enthusiasm and talent, and he did have a talent," he said.
Getty Images
Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in the Terminator film series, during which he became know for his famous catchphrase "I'll be back"
From there, Schwarzenegger returned to London where he trained under Charles "Wag" Bennett, who had been another of the judges at the Mr Universe competition.
Within a year Schwarzenegger won his first Mr Universe title, going on to claim it multiple times in his career.
In 1968 he moved to the US where he became one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, a Hollywood action star and governor of California.
Along the way, he earned a business degree and collected numerous honorary doctorates, including one from Stockton University in 2023 which also recognised his impact beyond sport.
