Arnold Schwarzenegger is recalling one of his more bizarre acting experiences. According to the former governor of California, he was forced to bite a “real, dead vulture” multiple times while filming the 1982 movie Conan the Barbarian.
Directed by John Milius, the film follows Conan — a barbarian warrior seeking vengeance for the death of his parents. As Schwarzenegger’s first big movie, his leading role ultimately put him on the map.
Four decades after Conan the Barbarian was released in theaters, the actor has opened up about the grueling filming process in his new book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, which offers life tips based on his journey from his work as a bodybuilder, to becoming a movie star, to dabbling in politics.
“I learned to ride horses and camels and elephants,” he wrote, per Insider. “I learned how to jump from large rocks, how to climb and swing from long ropes, how to fall from a height. I basically went to another vocational school, this one for aspiring action heroes.”
He continued, “Then on top of that, Milius had me doing all kinds of terrible shit. I crawled through rocks, take after take, until my forearms bled. I ran from wild dogs that managed to catch me and pull me into a thorn bush.”
But perhaps one of his more unusual memories came from a scene in which his character was tied to a tree.
“I bit a real, dead vulture that required I wash my mouth out with alcohol after each take. (PETA would have a field day with that one),” he admitted. “On one of the first days of filming, I tore a gash on my back that required forty stitches.”
The movie ended up getting a sequel in 1984 — and Schwarzenegger previously opened up about talks to do another installment. However, things have been stalled due to copyright issues, according to the Terminator actor.
“It’s been pending for the last 10 years. [Fredrik] Malmberg owns the rights,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in May. “He comes to me and says, ‘Oh, I have a deal with Netflix,’ and when we ask Netflix, they don’t know anything about it. It’s one of those crazy things.”
Schwarzenegger added, “There’s a great script out there that John Milius wrote, and others have written one. The story is there. There are directors who want to do it. But he has the rights, and until he sells the rights for one or two movies, or for the franchise, there’s nothing you can do about it.”