Alex Carson
Those who love cigars see it as a mark of sophistication and refined tastes. After all, making cigars is an elaborate process that involves carefully selecting the best leaves and then spending days and months drying them to get the perfect taste. It is, thus, not very surprising that cigar aficionados consider the stogie an item of great artisanal value. Moreover, history has given us many cigar lovers who have added to the charm of the stogie. Remember Winston Churchill, the self-proclaimed cigar lover and Fidel
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the major Hollywood icons who is often seen with a cigar in hand and who has done a great service to the cigar industry. Those who have been lucky enough to spend some time with this megastar will vouch for the fact that Arnold is a connoisseur of cigars and from his home to office, keeps a humidor almost everywhere. Not many people know that Arnold was introduced to the world of cigars by his father-in-law, Sargent Shriver and that he smokes now because smoking calms him down.
Some will say that cigars are bad for health and we agree that they are, but if the Austrian Oak finds his peace in Cuban tobaccos, who are we come in between the terminator and his favourite cigars? In this video, we tell you all about Arnold Schwarzenegger: Cigar Aficionado.
Started In A Small Village In Austria
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in Thal-by-Graz, a small village in Austria. Arnold’s father was a village cop and as a child, he lived a simple life, with no access to either telephone or television. Life changed after he saw a bunch of boys working out in the weightlifting room. He was so utterly impressed that he started lifting weights at the age of 15 and by the age of 20, he had already won the Mr. Universe title. An ambitious man, Arnold Schwarzenegger also won the Mr. Olympia contest a total of seven times. Life changed completely for the Austrian Oak when Hollywood happened. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have struck it rich in America, but he has managed to stay connected with his humble Austrian roots.
However, if there is one thing that Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for, other than his elaborate acting career and his stint as the Governor of California, it is his love for cigars. Yes, Arnold Schwarzeneggar is a cigar aficionado so much so that in 2014, he was given the title of the ‘Cigar Smoker of the Year’ by a popular cigar magazine. He has humidors all around him — he keeps them in his houses, his offices, cars, basically everywhere. In fact, Arnold is rarely seen without a cigar these days and he uses every opportunity he gets to express his love for cigars.
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
In 2015, Arnold appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and took Fallon to his favorite cigar club in the city. If anyone doubted Arnold’s love for the stogie, the interview certainly made it clear that this is a man who knows his stuff and can talk for hours about his favorite brands and why he loves to smoke a cigar. Arnold loves his stogies so much that he once gave an interview to Playboy and told the interviewer that his time would be counted against the cigar — as soon as the cigar ends, the interview ends.
So, how many does Arnold smoke each day? Does he smoke on sets? Has he ever run into trouble due to this habit of his? We will give answers to all these questions in this video. So, keep watching. Meanwhile, if you are enjoying this video, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated about all our latest videos.
An Illustrious Family
So, how did Arnold Schwarzenegger get to know cigars? The credit goes to Maria Shriver, Arnold’s ex-wife. Maria comes from an illustrious family. Her father is the former Peace Corps Director, Sargent Shriver, and her mother Eunice was President John F. Kennedy’s sister. It was Maria’s father who had introduced Arnold to cigars at the Shriver house, which was located close to the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport, Massachusetts. In an interview, Arnold shared with his fans the fact that Maria’s father had introduced him to cigars always worked in his favor for every time his wife complained of his smoking, Arnold would blame Maria’s father.
This, however, does not mean that Arnold is an irresponsible smoker, especially around his children. While his children were growing up, Arnold would only smoke cigars outside in the open air or the jacuzzi, if he was spending some alone time. He made it a point to never smoke near his kids’ bedroom or inside his house. There was one exception though: when Arnold had guests over, he would pass cigars to them while dining and though accepting this habit may have been difficult, Maria eventually made her peace with it.
Bad Cigar Habits
Does Arnold have any bad cigar habits and how many cigars does he smoke in a day? In an interview with Cigar Aficionado a couple of years ago, Arnold revealed that he usually smokes one or two cigars a day. However, he usually starts in the afternoon since he has fallen into the habit of smoking one after lunch. What about any weird cigar habits? In the same interview, Arnold also revealed that he smokes cigars left from the night before if he was smoking a good one. Normally, cigar lovers do not like lighting an already-burned cigar, but Arnold says he likes the taste and therefore, does not mind smoking one from the night before.
And is there any particular size or brand that he likes? Well, here is a man who knows his cigars very well and therefore, he has given very answer specific to both these questions in the past. His favorite size is Punch Punch since it is the perfect size to light after any meal. In terms of brands, Arnold used to like Davidoff but has shifted away from the brand in recent years. In his last interview on the topic of cigars, he shared that he likes good Romeo y Julieta’s but his favorite cigar brand at the moment is Hoyo de Monterrey. It was Milton Berle, the famous comedian, and actor, who gave him a taste for Hoyo de Monterrey. On Arnold’s 40th birthday, Milton brought along a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas and converted Arnold into a fan.
Cigars To Feel Calm And Composed
Arnold was such a huge fan of cigars that he would smoke often on movie sets, a habit that landed him in big trouble with actor Danny DeVito and football player-turned actor Carl Weathers. However, Arnold managed to turn them both into cigar lovers.
While shooting for the Predators with Carl Weathers, Arnold once lit a stogie in front of Weathers and the football player started coughing loudly. Carl was so pissed by Arnold’s smoking that he asked him to go away as he couldn’t breathe. Arnold, however, did not lose his calm and reacted like any other massive movie star would have in such a situation. Instead, he explained to Weathers that he smokes only because cigars allow him to feel calm and composed, especially on the first day of shoots.
Thereafter, Arnold took his cigar and left. The same day, Weathers came to Arnold and asked whether he could chew one of Arnold’s cigar instead of smoking it to see what the fuss was about. Arnold gave Carl Weathers an Ashton and after chewing it for a few minutes, Carl requested Arnold to light the cigar. By the time, they finished shooting on Predators, Weathers had his manager buying boxes of Ashtons and Pléiades for him. The man was smoking from seven in the morning to seven at night and Arnold had to eventually call an intervention.
Cigar Lovers In Hollywood
Much like Carl Weathers, Danny DeVito was at first opposed to Arnold’s cigar smoking. However, Arnold managed to convert him too. In fact, the word goes that Arnold Schwarzenegger has created more cigar lovers in Hollywood than anyone else. The truth is Arnold has created so many Schwarzenegger converts that at one point, he was giving away many, many cigars for free and tired of freeloaders, he decided to get rid of them for once and all by giving a particular someone an exploding cigar.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a genuine cigar lover. Many actors in Hollywood have used cigars as props to give them a suave and gentle demeanor. However, for Arnold, cigars aren’t a prop, they are very much a part of who he is, which is why one can find him smoking often in movies. Remember the opening scene of Predator? A dashing Arnold Schwarzenneger enters the scene billowing plumes of smoke. Similarly, in Batman and Robin, when Mr. Freeze lit one, it seemed only natural. The thing is Arnold Schwarzenegger genuinely loves cigars and it shows in the way he holds and smokes one.
An Influential Public Figure
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an incredibly influential public figure and therefore, it is safe to say that by being so open about his love for cigars, the man has done the cigar industry a great favor. Celebrities like Arnold inspire thousands to at least find and try a good cigar. If you have ever wanted to try one, we recommend watching one of many of Arnold’s interviews where he talks about what to look for and what to avoid while buying a cigar. However, let us highlight here that smoking is injurious to health and it’s best to stay from it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of those actors whose love for cigars is real. Within Hollywood, the man considers an authority on cigars. He can tell you the difference between different brands and what a good one tastes like. And even though smoking cigars is injurious, the man makes no efforts at all to hide his love for stogies.
So, what do you think of this habit of Arnold? Do you think the man should not promote this bad habit or are you of the opinion that he has every right to live his life the way he wants? Please share your opinion with us through comments. Furthermore, if you enjoyed this video, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest videos.
