Playing He-Man was pretty much my lowest point as an actor, it was a kids` movie. How much could I do as an actor when I was running around in swim trunks and chest armor? There was talk of my doing a second one, but I wasn`t available, and from what I understand, the whole idea of a sequel fell through.

I was incredibly shy when I first got into the business, I still am to some extent. I`ve overcome that shyness through contact sports, but I wanted to find that same confidence interacting with people through acting instead of in the ring.

Action films are an extension of Greek myths which have been around since Homer`s The Iliad. Everybody`s life has some mythical quality. You struggle against obstacles, you fight to get to a higher level and there are great loves. With an action film its just more apparent. That`s why people will always love action movies.

When I started studying acting in New York, I didn`t plan to be an action hero. I just wanted to learn acting because I felt it was something I needed to try to do for myself, to express something, my inner pain, or something I couldn`t get out. Then I got caught up taking my shirt off and strapping a machine gun on to shoot people. There wasn`t really much acting - you couldn`t have done too much with those roles no matter how good you were. (in Empire (UK), January 1996)

I was turned down at my first audition for Rocky IV for being too tall. I was 6ft 5in and you were supposed to be 6ft 3in maximum. I didn`t know what the casting call was for and I just showed up, they asked me how tall I was, I said 6ft 5in and they said NEXT!

Schwarzenegger is my role model since he is successful but, as an actor, he is not [my role model]. I prefer Sean Connery, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford. They too started as `beef cakes` but have since established themselves as acknowledged actors.

I was a movie star before having the chance to become an actor, so now I`m trying to backtrack. (in "Vanity Fair", 1995)

I usually pick up a scar a movie.

My problem is that people get intimidated by someone big and beautiful like me. They hate to think I can be smart as well.