Bodybuilders in the Movies

You may remember Roger Callard, as the javelin thrower in Sextette (1978) with Mae West. What about as Sgt Mulrey in Geronimo (1993)? The agent in Sneakers (1992)? Who can forget his powerful physique as Conan the Librarian alongside Wierd Al Yankovich in The Vidiot from UHF (1989)? Or as Ranger son #2 in Twins (1988) ?

If not, watch this space. Classic bodybuilder and former Mr USA 1975, Mr America 1977 and Mr international 1978, has a lead role as a detective in a new thriller called The Lady Killer (2006).

 

 

Arnie made it look easy, but there is a long tradition of bodybuilders struggling to make it big in mainstream cinema. From Thomas Edison’s first film of Eugen Sandow, to IFBB pro’s Bob Chicherillo’s appearance in Dodgeball,(2004) bodybuilders continue to capture the imagination of movie goers around the globe, but few have made it to the top.

 

 

Hollywood’s last Golden Age in the 1970s and early 80s coincided with The Golden Age of Bodybuilding, so-called because of an emphasis on massive shoulders and back that changed somewhat in 1984. That was the year Lee Haney’s new look made its mark on the O, paving the way for the blockish physiques of Dorian Yates and Ron Coleman. But the 1970s and 80s saw a plethora of muscle-vids made available to the public, largely due to the efforts of legendary Oz Lensman Wayne Gallash.

These videos have since become classics, and many bodybuilders saw them as their ticket to the Dream Factory. Tony Carroll, Franco Columbu, Cory Everson, Bev Francis and of course Lou Ferrigno, were just a few of the bodybuilders who jumped on the blockbuster bandwagon. But as Roger Callard found, it wasn’t always easy for bodybuilders to muscle their way in between the Raging Bulls and Easy Riders to become the Next Big Thing.

 

 

Over his ongoing career, Roger Callard has made two dozen movie and TV appearances, many with Mr. Schwarzenegger himself. He’s pitched in for the stunts in Total Recall and Commando, and played himself in classics such as Pumping Iron and Stay Hungry.

OK, so Roger may not have managed to fill Arnie’s shoes, but so far no one has.