Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a candid conversation with Danny DeVito, shared his realistic and unsentimental views on death and the afterlife. He said he is not convinced by ideas of heaven or a traditional afterlife, viewing them as comforting beliefs rather than proven realities. What truly saddens him is not death itself, but losing the richness and joy of life—friendship, movement, work, travel, and everyday experiences.
Despite being raised Catholic, Schwarzenegger has moved away from traditional religious views about what happens after death while holding onto the moral values he learned, especially service to others. He believes fulfillment comes from contributing to the greater good, not fame or power.
Rather than focusing on what may come after death, Schwarzenegger emphasizes living fully in the present, appreciating life’s impermanence, and serving others. His message is ultimately one of gratitude and urgency: life is precious because it is temporary, so meaning should be found here and now.
Arnold Schwarzenegger says he won’t be back. Ever.
The action movie legend told “Twins” co-star Danny DeVito that heaven is a “fantasy” and that anyone who says otherwise “is a fucking liar.”
In a new Interview article posted Tuesday, DeVito noted the threat of the water crisis and asked Schwarzenegger, “What’s in the future for us?”
That prompted the former “Terminator” to take aim at the afterlife.
“It reminds me of Howard Stern’s question to me: ‘Tell me, Governor, what happens to us when we die?’ I said, ’Nothing. You’re 6 feet under. Anyone that tells you something else is a fucking liar,’” Schwarzenegger said.
DeVito reminded his buddy that he couldn’t really know.
“I said, ‘We don’t know what happens with the soul and all this spiritual stuff that I’m not an expert in, but I know that the body as we see each other now, we will never see each other again like that,’ ” Schwarzenegger continued.
“We deteriorate,” DeVito interjected.
“Except in some fantasy,” Schwarzenegger replied. “When people talk about, ‘I will see them again in heaven,’ it sounds so good, but the reality is that we won’t see each other again after we’re gone. That’s the sad part. I know people feel comfortable with death, but I don’t.”
“Arnold,” the Netflix docuseries about him, begins streaming Wednesday.
One portion disclosed this week covers Schwarzenegger’s confession in therapy to then-wife Maria Shriver that the housekeeper’s son, Joseph Baena, was his as well. The revelation prompted the couple to split in 2011.
