Schwarzenegger plays a protective dad in his upcoming Netflix series, 'FUBAR,' and talks work-life balance with kids.
Arnold Schwarzenegger admits he has learned some tough lessons as a working parent. After spending years on sets and onscreen as an actor hero, Schwarzenegger took on another role, governor of California. Both gigs required a lot of time away from his family, and Schwarzenegger's children let him know just how they felt about it.
The Terminator star put a pause on acting to fill his political post from 2003-2011. The time away affected his then-young children, Katherine, Patrick, Christina and Christopher. Schwarzenegger is also father to Joseph Baena.
"I had to rely on my wife," the 75-year-old says about then-wife Maria Shriver. "But then when I came home, or I was governor for instance, and I traveled all over the state of California, I came home, the kids were crying, 'Daddy, where were you when I had my recital?' 'Where were you when I needed you for my football game?' and all those kinds of things."
In FUBAR, Schwarzenegger makes his television debut as a CIA agent who doubles as protective father of his daughter (played by Monica Barbaro) -- who has been hiding a secret. The Expendables actor got a taste of what it might be like being on a job with his daughters while working alongside Barbaro.
"I think working with Monica was kind of like working with my daughters and I was always trying to imagine that because my daughters were very challenging," he says. "They had their mother's kind of strength and they are very strong inside. So they have their own opinions and all of that stuff. There was this feisty relationship that we had and it reminded me a lot my relationship that I have with my daughters."
Art imitates life a little on the upcoming Netflix series, as his character has to find a work-life balance that works out for everyone.
"It's very tough to think the little bit of what we show in FUBAR," he says. "How tough it is to have a professional life and to be successful in that and then to go home and be successful in that. And sometimes you're not like my character in FUBAR, he has a disastrous home life. Everything is going south ,but he is number one at his profession, so it's comedy, but in real life it becomes a great tragedy all at the same time."
In FUBAR, fans will have a chance to see Schwarzenegger in all his action glory. However, they'll also get a chance to experience his life on a more personal level with the release of his Netflix docuseries, Arnold, in June.
The latest trailer for Arnold shows the actor discussing his rise from body builder to big screen actor, his run in politics and the cheating scandal that shook up his life with his wife and kids.
"It's not only just of the failures but also the successes," he says about the project.
FUBAR premieres May 25 on Netflix.
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