Arnold Schwarzenegger opens up about son-in-law Chris Pratt and becoming a grandfather for the first time
LOS ANGELES - In "Terminator 2" Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the T-800, delivered the iconic line “Hasta la vista, baby.” Now, days after celebrating his 73rd birthday Schwarzenegger is gearing up to instead say "hello" to a new baby, as he is set to become a grandfather for the first time.
"It’s going to be really, really exciting," Schwarzenegger told FOX 11’s Elex Michaelson in an exclusive interview on "The Issue Is."
Schwarzenegger’s eldest daughter, Katherine, and her husband Chris Pratt, who tied the knot in June of 2019, announced in April that they were expecting their first child together.
On August 1, Pratt shared a photo on Instagram of the expectant couple on a hike, he captioned the photo "Ready to pop, still don’t stop, top of the mountain today."
“I’m really looking forward to Katherine to pop out that baby and to deliver,” Schwarzenegger said, adding that he’s also looking forward to learning whether the baby is a boy or a girl, since Katherine continued the family tradition of waiting to find out the baby’s gender.
Beyond his obvious excitement for his forth-coming grandchild, Schwarzenegger also had nothing but praise for son-in-law Pratt, best known for his roles in "Jurassic World," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "The Lego Movie, and "Parks and Recreation."
"Chris Pratt is a fantastic son-in-law," Schwarzenegger said. "He’s very, very disciplined with his work, he’s wonderful to Katherine, and to Maria, and to me, and we have a great relationship with him, he’s really a great, great guy."
Throughout his own career, Schwarzenegger has gone by many names, from Mr. Universe and Detective John Kimble, to the governor of California and Conan the Barbarian, so Michaelson asked what moniker he’ll answer to as a grandfather.
“They can call me anything they want,” Schwarzenegger joked. “‘Grandpa,’ or ‘Opa’ - in German it’s ‘Opa’ - they can call me anything they want.”
While the new baby will be Schwarzenegger’s first grandchild, he told Michaelson that he has been playing a grandfatherly role with his nephew’s children, taking them skiing, on rides in his Hummer, and to play with his array of farm animals.
“I love children,” Schwarzenegger said, while recounting his own childhood. “I had a great childhood when I grew up, even though it was very tough after the Second World War… but we had a wonderful time, we had a lot of fun, and so I have fond memories of that time, and I want other kids to have fun too.”
With the Terminator as a grandfather, one of Marvel’s Avengers as a father, and an already prolific author as a mother, fun doesn’t seem like it will be a question for the new baby.
In a wide-ranging interview on The Issue Is, Schwarzenegger also discussed California’s response to coronavirus, his relationship with Congresswoman, and potential VP pick, Karen Bass (D-CA), his time in quarantine, and his call on Americans to wear face coverings.