Biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER BIOGRAPHY

Date of Birth; 30 July 1947, Thal, Styria, Austria
Birth; NameArnold Alois Schwarzenegger
Nickname;Arnie Austrian Oak, Conan the Republican, Styrian Oak, The Governator The Running Man
Height; 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Born: 30 July 1947Where: Thal, AustriaAwards: Won 1 Golden GlobeHeight: 6' 2"
Filmography:
In all of Hollywood history, there cannot be a better example of The Self-Made Man than Arnold Schwarzenegger. A millionaire many, many times over, he's made fortunes both through acting and property deals: he's married into the Kennedy clan, making him American royalty: and, of course, he's one of the very few stars whose films are promoted purely by the use of his surname. SCHWARZENEGGER in Some $200 Million Epic. You've seen it many times. In fact, they could just use his Christian name. Arnold would work equally well. You couldn't say the same for Tom (Cruise, that is). Oh, and in 2003 he became Governor of California, taking control of the fifth biggest economy on the planet. How much higher could he possibly go?
As ever, it's all down to the early years. Yet, unusually, Arnold wasn't driven to success by a rabid neediness engendered by childhood neglect. Born on July 30th, 1947, in the isolated Austrian village of Thal, down by the Italian border, he was subject to intense discipline from a very early age. Hitler's homeland in the immediate post-war period was a tough place to live, and Arnold was 14 before his family enjoyed such luxuries as a fridge, a phone and even indoor plumbing. His father, Gustav, was a police chief in Graz, leaving Arnold and his older brother Meinhard to be raised by their mother Aurelia. You'd expect a policeman to be a strict father, but Gustav was doubly so. Being a curling champion, he was keen to push his boys to athletic excellence too. They would rise at 6, do their chores, then perform sit-ups and squats before their breakfast. They were allowed out on Sunday evenings but, legend has it, were required to deliver a 10-page essay on their activities before retiring to bed.
It worked. Meinhard rapidly became a champion boxer. Arnold too was quick to find a beefy vocation. Training for the local soccer team, he began to lift weights. Studying his body, now aged 15, he realised that to give it perfect proportions he'd need 20-inch biceps - he set to work immediately. At 18, there was National Service, and Arnold signed up, only to go AWOL within a month in order to attend the Mr Junior Europe bodybuilding contest in Stuttgart. He won, with a perfect score, and spent seven days in the brig for his pains.
In 1966, he left the army to attend University in Munich, studying marketing. He also accepted an invitation to train at that city's famous Putzingger gym. In September, he came second in the amateur Mr Universe contest in London. Second being no place for a Schwarzenegger, he returned the next year to win it. He turned professional, everything was looking good. Then tragedy struck as first Meinhard was killed in a car crash, then Gustav died of a stroke. Neither, sadly, saw Arnold win the Pro Mr Universe title in 1968.
But Arnold kept going. Invited by bodybuilding champion Joe Weilder to train in the US, he decamped to America and continued a career unparalleled in its success, becoming Mr World as well as Mr Universe. He took the latter title every year till 1975 when he retired (though he'd return to win it again, against all predictions, in 1980). A later documentary, Pumping Iron, showed Arnold in the run-up to one of these victories, gradually and wittily shattering the confidence of his main rival, Lou Ferrigno (later The Incredible Hulk). He was obviously highly intelligent, massively disciplined and a master of competitive psychology. And funny, God was he funny.
Being the greatest bodybuilder in history was not enough, though. Arnold had set his sites on following his bodybuilding hero Reg Park into acting, and in 1970 played a demi-God unleashed on Earth in Hercules In New York (Park had played Hercules in the early Sixties). It wasn't a good film, but Arnold (credited as Arnold Strong) rather stood out, only partly because his voice was dubbed. Appearing on the Merv Griffin Show, he was spotted by Lucille Ball, and was given a prime role in her new sitcom, Happy Anniversary And Goodbye. It never aired - one of Arnold's very few failures.
While his film career took a while to take off, Arnold continued winning those bodybuilding titles. He also made his first million on the side. Forming a bricklaying partnership with fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu, he financed a series of fitness books and cassettes. These in turn financed the purchase of an apartment block and a consequent succession of lucrative real estate deals. He was driving a Mercedes and living in a flash Los Angeles home before he ever won a decent movie part. And he still found time to earn a degree, by correspondence, from the University of Wisconsin, majoring in International Marketing.
In 1977, Arnold met his wife, Maria Shriver, cousin of John F. Kennedy's doomed son, John. It was in many respects an odd coupling. Arnold, unsurprisingly a big fan of capitalism, was a staunch Republican, while Shriver hailed from the world's most renowned Democrat dynasty and, as a TV journalist, was politically active in that direction. Nevertheless, having met at a Pro-Celebrity tennis tournament, they dated for eight years and, after Arnold proposed while they were boating on a lake in Austria, they married in 1986. They have four children - Katherine Eunice, Christina Maria Aurelia, Patrick and Christopher Sargent.
At first, Arnold's looks condemned him to vaguely comic bit-parts. He was a thug in Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, with Elliott Gould as Phillip Marlowe. He was a bodybuilder, alongside Jeff Bridges and Sally Field in Stay Hungry (for which he won a Golden Globe - not a lot of acting awards on the Schwarzenegger mantelpiece, it must be said). He had a bit part in the ensemble comedy Scavenger Hunt, played The Handsome Stranger in the roustabout Western Cactus Jack, and was musclebound hubbie Mickey Hargitay in The Jayne Mansfield Story.
1982 changed all that. At last a role arrived that really suited Arnold's build, and his impossibly thick accent. Boosted by a brutal script (courtesy of John Milius and Oliver Stone) and unflinching direction from Milius, Conan The Barbarian was a perfect vehicle. Packed with cleavings, bitings, head-buttings, beheadings and even some freaky sex with a witch who turns into a ricocheting ball of energy, it made Arnold a star at last. Immediately, he followed it up with two more sword'n'sorcery epics - Conan The Destroyer and Red Sonja - but he also nabbed a more important role, as the time-travelling cyborg assassin in James Cameron's The Terminator. This would be a cult hit, a sleeper, but it would eventually make both Cameron and Schwarzenegger. It would also take Arnold into the world of rock music - he'd appear as The Terminator in videos for Guns N'Roses' You Could Be Mine and Bon Jovi's Say It Isn't So (he'd also, appropriately turn up in AC/DC's Big Gun video).
Many actors would have now looked to vary their roles, but ever the pragmatist, Arnold decided he was on to a good thing. Hence Commando, Raw Deal, Stephen King's The Running Man, the fantastically strange and exciting Predator, cop drama Red Heat, then the sci-fi epic Total Recall. The formula was joyfully consistent - extremely big guns, monstrous explosions and sharp, cruel one liners. Remember Arnold skewering that guy on an absurdly big knife in Predator ("Stick around"), or executing Sharon Stone in Total Recall ("Consider that a divorce")? Classic stuff.
Once his reputation as a box-office draw was sealed, Arnold did spread his wings a little, if only because he realised family films made even more money. He played Danny De Vito's dopey brother in Twins, where he was hilarious singing along to Yakety-Yak, and was impressively frustrated in Kindergarten Cop. He also turned briefly to directing with the TV movie Christmas In Connecticut, a comedy featuring Dyan Cannon and Kris Kristofferson where Arnold made a split-second Hitchcock-style appearance (he'd earlier helmed an episode of Tales From The Crypt). Later, he'd move into family entertainment again, playing a pregnant man in Junior, and assaulting the Christmas market with Jingle All The Way, as a harassed father seeking the world's most popular toy.
But action was always Arnold's middle name, and his blockbuster years began with Terminator 2 (affectionately known as T2), in 1992. From here on in, Arnold was resolutely The Good Guy, beginning in T2 as a cyborg assassin turned protector, saving the world and even weeping little cyborg tears. But sometimes good guys come last (not a saying in Schwarzenegger canon), and now he had to cope with his first major disaster - Last Action Hero. Now, with Arnold starring and John "Die Hard" McTiernan directing, you'd think it would have been a marvel. And it was. As the cartoon super-cop Jack Slater, Arnold was a paragon of side-splitting self-deprecation, the stunts were fabulous, the script pacey, clever and amusing. But it seemed the public only wanted to see Arnold shooting people in the face with bazookas - the film bombed.
Undeterred, back he came with True Lies, another comic stunt-fest, once more directed by James Cameron. This time the world caught on, accepting Arnold as Bond-like secret agent Harry Tasker, clowning around with Jamie Lee Curtis. So he did the same again, with Eraser, this time playing a super-smart US Marshall who wipes out the pasts of witnesses, allowing them safe futures. These movies were huge in every respect, with Arnold coming across far more like the cool, witty, convinced fellow he was back when he played himself in Pumping Iron. But now he added an extra touch of humanity to his repertoire, being really quite moving as the bereaved Mr Freeze in Batman And Robin, then agreeably panicked as the alcoholic cop trying to save the world from Gabriel Byrne's Satan in End Of Days.
Arnold (maybe we should say Ah-nold, just the once) declared many times that he would eventually leave the action genre behind, rather than appear like a pathetic ghost of himself (like Clint Eastwood insists upon doing). While he still had it in him, though, he decided to go out with a bang. After the sci-fi clone thriller The Sixth Day (shades of Total Recall) came Collateral Damage where he was firefighter Gordon Brewer, who goes after international terrorists when his family are murdered (a movie toned down after the events of 9/11). Then came the long-awaited T3 where the long-suffering John Connor has reached his twenties and is menaced by a female T-X terminator, Arnie being a T-100 model sent back through time to save him. With James Cameron no longer involved in the franchise, the movie lacked a truly intelligent storyline, concentrating instead on in-jokes and spectacular special effects.
Schwarzenegger would now take a cameo in Welcome To the Jungle, a vehicle for The Rock, Arnie's successor as the world's premier cartoon hard-man. And he'd take another in a new star-studded version of Jules Verne's Around The World In 80 Days, hilariously sending himself up as Prince Hapi, a Turkish aristocrat who invites Steve Coogan's Phineas Fogg and Jackie Chan's Passepartout to join him in a hot-tub. But his film career would then be put on hold as he finally made his entry into the world of politics. When in 2003 it was discovered that California was suddenly billions in the red, it was mooted that Governor Gray Davis might be ousted in a recall election. When just such an election was called, Arnie stepped in on the Republican ticket, announcing his candidature on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, just eight weeks before the vote was to take place. Immediately, the media went into overdrive and, the polls looking bleak, so did Davis, famed as a dirty campaigner. An interview from 1975 was pulled out where Arnold might possibly have expressed admiration for Hitler while filming Pumping Iron. He was accused of supporting apartheid and of indulging in orgies with body-building groupies and prostitutes. Drug-taking was brought up, then 15 women came forward claiming that at some point between 1979 and 2000 he had spanked them or grabbed their buttocks or breasts while on-set. Arnold apologised for any distress caused but, as none of them had complained at the time, went on his merry way. Beyond this, there was the earlier claim in the National Enquirer that Scharzenegger had engaged in a seven-year affair with former child actress Gigi Goyette. There was alleged to have been a love child. But once America Media Inc, owner of the Enquirer, had bought Weider Publications, owner of seven body-building magazines, and Arnold was taken on as executive director of two of those mags, the Enquirer had made no further mention of Goyette.
None of this seemed to damage Schwarzenegger. It was as if people expected a bit of sleaze in Hollywood. On October 7th, Gray was indeed recalled and Arnie crushed his enemies in the elections, with 1.5 million votes beating his closest rival by a clear 500,000. He'd made it, just like Ronald Reagan before him. Interestingly, following the success of former wrestler and actor Jesse Ventura in Minnesota, Schwarzenegger was the second star of Predator to become state governor (in the movie Ventura had outdone Arnold with the classic hard-man line "Lose it here, boy, and you're livin' in a world of hurt"). Immediately talk began of an assault on the Oval Office. Of course, not being born American he couldn't be President (he became a US citizen in 1983), but that didn't seem to worry anyone. Indeed, a scene from the future-set Demolition Man, where Sandra Bullock explains to Sylvester Stallone that the popularity of Arnie's movies has forced a constitutional amendment so he could become president, was now discussed as being highly prophetic. Article 2 of the US Constitution was under grave threat.
During his first year as Governor in Sacramento, the Governator (one of his many nicknames, along with Conan the Republican) used his charisma, Hollywood stature and incredible promotional skills to great effect. He charmed extra effort from his staff, schmoozed the Democrats controlling the state legislature and convinced the people that he would tackle the projected deficit of $15 billion and rescue California from the strangling influence of "special interests". His first hugely populist step in battling the deficit would be to refuse his new $175,000 salary and to use his own private jet for transport. In typically idiosyncratic style, much of his business was conducted in a tent set up in the courtyard of the State Capitol buildings, where Arnold could enjoy a cigar without breaking California's tight non-smoking regulations.
Politically speaking, Schwarzenegger was no ordinary Republican. Though right of centre on some issues, he was very definitely left on others. He took a Leftist stance on abortion and gay rights and annoyed his friend Charlton Heston by supporting increased gun control. Californians would back him when he suggested the state should borrow $3 billion to fund stem cell research and approved tighter control of the gaming industry (though, oddly, they'd not support his plan to tax millionaires an extra 1% and invest the proceeds in mental health care). More right wing leanings would be revealed in Arnold's deriding Democrat opponents as "girlie men", and his support for the "three strikes and you're out" policy where triple offenders would be jailed for life no matter how petty their crimes - a policy that succeeded in packing California's jails. Schwarzenegger would also infamously refuse to grant clemency to Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a former murderer and gang leader who'd spent his 24 years on Death Row becoming a renowned anti-violence campaigner and even being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. That said, in his first ten months of office Arnold had ordered the parole of 48 prisoners convicted of murder, a massive number by Californian state traditions. He was not always consistent.
He became especially confusing in his dealings with the "special interests" he'd sworn to disempower. In his first three years as governor he'd accept over $90 million in donations, including major contributions from estate developers, financiers, retailers, insurers and oil and energy giants. Much would be made of his failure to address high insurance and high petrol prices, as well as environmental issues such as excessive logging and pollution. His desire to deregulate the energy market did not sit well with a public still smarting after being fleeced by the likes of Enron. He was gradually losing the people's support.
Ordinarily, when Schwarzenegger encountered any difficulties he'd go public and be backed by the electorate. However, this populist measure would blow up in his face when in November, 2005, he went against the advice of his wife and called a Special Election, asking voters to back eight separate propositions he said would help him fulfil his manifesto promises. Amongst other changes, the propositions would make it easier to sack poor teachers by changing employment rules, would prohibit unions from using members' money in political contributions and would enforce spending limits on the state. Prescription drugs would be made cheaper for low income families, parents would be notified if a minor requested an abortion, and the electricity industry would face more regulations. A mixed bag, then. However, despite support from many teachers and predictions from economic experts that state expenditure would be smoother and reduced over time, the outrageous $250 million spent by interested parties during the election meant that Schwarzenegger was defeated on all eight counts. A terrific humiliation by anyone's standards. Nevertheless, Arnold would remain true to himself, bounding around with his usual irrepressible optimism, trying to get things done. He would succeed in banning the sales of violent video games to kids and would please his Hollywood peers by allowing them to sue the paparazzi for massive compensation should they be harmed due to the photographers' actions. He was bouncing back.
Arnold certainly maintains connections with his Hollywood friends. In 2005 he even sneaked away from his gubernatorial duties to cameo in The Kid And I, written by and starring his True Lies co-star Tom Arnold. There's often talk of him returning to the movies, probably in some bloated sequel to an earlier hit, like The Terminator or True Lies. And it's possible that this might occur, if, perhaps, he felt he needed one last cinematic boost before he went for President (once his powerful friends have altered Article 2, of course). It is truly amazing how he keeps rising. Back in 1999 he was already so famous that he inadvertently brought down the Japanese Minister for Defence. Having lost his passport in Japan, Arnold had to fill out some forms for a temporary replacement. The minister couldn't resist pocketing them as a souvenir, but was caught and forced to resign. It has to be said, doesn't it? Hasta la vista, baby.
Dominic Wills Growing up in a small, isolated village in Austria, he turned to bodybuilding as his ticket to a better life. Prior to that he served a mandatory one year in the Austrian military (beginning in 1965). After conquering the world as arguably the greatest bodybuilder who ever lived, he went to America to make his name in motion pictures. Hampered by his impossible name and thick accent, success eluded him for many years. It wasn't until he found the tailor-made role of Conan that he truly came into his own as a performer. A succession of over-the-top action films made him an international box office star. By alternating violent action films with lighter, comedic fare, he has solidified his position as one of the most popular - if not the most popular - movie stars in the world. After his long, and successful movie career, he ran in the California recall. He is now the Governor of California, yet another celebrity to be elected to the positionWith an almost unpronounceable surname and a thick Austrian accent, who would have ever believed that a brash, quick talking bodybuilder from a small European village would become one of Hollywoods biggest stars, marry into the prestigious Kennedy family, amass a fortune via shrewd investments and one day be the Governor of California!The amazing story of uber-star Arnold Schwarzenegger is a true "rags to riches" story of the penniless immigrant making it in the land of opportunity, the United States of America. Arnold was born on July 30th, 1947 in the town of Thal, Austria and from a young age he took a keen interest in physical fitness and bodybuilding, going on to compete in several minor contests in Europe. However, it was when he emigrated to the United States in 1968 at the tender age of 21 that his star began to rise. Up until the early 1970's, bodybuilding had been viewed as a rather oddball sport, or even a mis-understood "freak show" by the general public, however two entrepreneurial Canadian brothers Ben Weider and Joe Weider set about broadening the appeal of "pumping iron" and getting the sport respect, and what better poster boy could they have to lead the charge, then the incredible "Austrian Oak", Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over roughly the next decade, beginning in 1970, Schwarzenegger dominated the sport of competitive bodybuilding winning five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles and with it he made himself a major sports icon, he generated a new international audience for bodybuilding, gym memberships worldwide swelled by the tens of thousands and the Weider sports business empire flourished beyond belief and reached out to all corners of the globe.However, Schwarzenegger's horizons were bigger than just the landscape of bodybuilding and he debuted on screen as "Arnold Strong" in the low budget Hercules in New York (1970), then director Bob Rafelson cast Arnold in Stay Hungry (1976) alongside Jeff Bridges and Sally Field, for which Arnold won a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture". The mesmerizing Pumping Iron (1977) covering the 1975 Mr Olympia contest in South Africa has since gone on to become one of the key sports documentaries of the 20th century, plus Arnold landed other acting roles in the comedy The Villain (1979) opposite Kirk Douglas, and he portrayed Mickey Hargitay in the well received TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980) (TV). But, what Arnold really needed was a super hero / warrior style role in a lavish production that utilized his chiseled physique, and gave him room to show off his growing acting talents and quirky humor.Conan the Barbarian (1982) was just that role. Inspired by the Robert E. Howard short stories of the "Hyborean Age" and directed by gung ho director John Milius, and with a largely unknown cast, save Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones, "Conan" was a smash hit worldwide and an inferior, although still enjoyable sequel titled _Conan the Destroyer (1984) quickly followed. If "Conan" was the kick start to Arnold's movie career, then his next role was to put the pedal to the floor and accelerate his star status into overdrive. Director James Cameron had until that time only previously directed one earlier feature film titled Piranha Part Two: The Spawning (1981), - which stank of rotten fish from start to finish - however Cameron had penned a fast paced, science fiction themed film script that called for an actor to play an unstoppable, ruthless predator - The Terminator (1984). Made on a relatively modest budget, the high voltage action / science fiction thriller The Terminator (1984) was incredibly successful worldwide, and began one of the most profitable film franchises in history. The dead pan phrase "I'll be back" quickly became part of popular culture across the globe. Schwarzenegger was in vogue with action movie fans, and the next few years were to see Arnold reap box office gold in roles portraying tough, no-nonsense individuals who used their fists, guns and witty one liners to get the job done. The testosterone laden Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987) and Red Heat (1988) were all box office hits and Arnold could seemingly could no wrong when it came to picking winning scripts. The tongue in cheek comedy Twins (1988/I) with co-star Danny DeVito was a smash and won Arnold new fans who saw a more comedic side to the muscle bound actor once described by Australian author / TV host Clive James as "a condom stuffed with walnuts".The spectacular Total Recall (1990) and "feel good" Kindergarten Cop (1990) were both solid box office performers for Arnold, plus he was about to return to familiar territory with director James Cameron in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). The second time around for the futuristic robot, the production budget had grown from the initial film's $6.5 million to an alleged $100 million for the sequel, and it clearly showed as the stunning sequel bristled with amazing special effects, bone crunching chases & stunt sequences, plus state of the art computer generated imagery. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) was arguably the zenith of Arnolds film career to date and he was voted "International Star of the Decade" by the National Association of Theatre Owners. Remarkably, his next film Last Action Hero (1993) brought Arnold back to Earth with a hard thud as the self-satirizing, but confusing plot line of a young boy entering into a mythical Hollywood action film confused movie fans even more and they stayed away in droves making the film an initial financial disaster. Arnold turned back to good friend, director James Cameron and the chemistry was definitely still there as the "James Bond" style spy thriller True Lies (1994) co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold was the surprise hit of 1994 !Following the broad audience appeal of True Lies (1994), Schwarzenegger decided to lean towards more family themed entertainment with Junior (1994) and 'Jingle All the Way (1996)_ , but he still found time to satisfy his hard core fan base with Eraser (1996), as the chilling "Mr. Freeze" in Batman & Robin (1997) and battling dark forces in the supernatural action of End of Days (1999). The science fiction / conspiracy tale _6th Day, The (2000) played to only mediocre fan interest, and Collateral Damage (2002) had it's theatrical release held over for nearly a year after the tragic events of Sept 11th 2001, but it still only received a lukewarm reception. It was time again to resurrect Arnold's most successful franchise, and in 2003, Schwarzenegger pulled on the biker leathers for the third time for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Unfortunately, directorial duties passed from James Cameron to Jonathan Mostow and the deletion of the character of "Sarah Connor" aka Linda Hamilton and a change in the actor playing "John Connor" - Nick Stahl took over from Edward Furlong - making the third entry in the "Terminator" series the weakest to date.Schwarzenegger contributed cameo roles to The Rundown (2003), Around the World in 80 Days (2004) and _Kid & I, The (2005) and took political office in 2003 as the Governor of California, effectively suspending his film career for the foreseeable future.Schwarzenegger married TV journalist 'Maria Shriver' in April, 1986 and the couple have four children.IMDb Mini Biography By: firehouse44@hotmail.com
Spouse
Maria Shriver
(26 April 1986 - present) 4 children
Trade Mark
Frequent movie line: "I'll be back."
Often has his character say comedic one liners that puncuate the action.
Many of his films have his characters doing feats of strength to match his muscular look, eg Commando (1985) where he is first seen in the film carrying a whole tree trunk on his shoulder.
Frequently has some type of action scene in bathrooms. (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), True Lies (1994) and _Kindergarten Cop (1990)_ ).
Trivia
Ranked #20 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Fourth child, a boy, born. [27 September 1997]
Underwent heart surgery to correct a congenital heart valve condition. [April 1997]
Called by the Guinness Book of World Records, "the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world."
Noted fan of cigar smoking.
His voice in Hercules in New York (1970) was dubbed.
Was part-owner of Planet Hollywood and Schatzi restaurants.
Advocate for the Republican party.
He reprised his Terminator character for the theme park attraction T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996), a short film which uses an enhanced 3-D process that makes the film really appear to jump out at the audience.
His production company is Oak Productions.
Became a US citizen. [1983]
His wife Maria Shriver is a niece of the late President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
Graduated from University of Wisconsin-Superior with a major in international marketing of fitness and business administration. [1979]
Sold his Planet Hollywood stock off and is no longer a part owner of the chain. (2000)
The soccer stadium in Graz, Austria (his home town) is named after him.
Was considered for the title role in the 1970s TV series "The Incredible Hulk" (1978), but was reportedly deemed not tall enough. His former bodybuilding competitor, Lou Ferrigno, ultimately won the part.
After leaving Austria for the first time, he came to England to work, earning under £30 a week.
Received an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin Superior, in 1996 in recognition of his charitable works.
Son-in-law of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
At his bodybuilding peak his chest was 57", waist 34", biceps 22", thighs 28½", calves 20", and his competition weight was 235 lbs (260 lbs off-season).
He and Warner Bros. agreed to postpone the release of Collateral Damage (2002) indefinitely in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks on America. The plot centers around a firefighter who lost his family in a terrorist bomb attack. [September 2001]
7 September 2001 - Sues International Game Technology for the unauthorized use of his voice and likeness in slot machine games. His lawyer told the press he was seeking $20 million in damages, which is the amount he believes he would have received had he approved the use.
Childhood friends stated that he often said his goals in life were to move to America, become an actor, and marry a Kennedy. He accomplished all three.
Underwent a genioplasty -- a procedure in which his jaw has been moved back so that it no longer juts out.
Was the first private citizen in the U.S. to own a Humvee (High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle).
Lobbying in May 2002 to promote anti-juvenile delinquency initiative on California ballot that would commit the state to allocate $400 million for extracurricular activities and tutoring for students, kindergarten through ninth grade.
Received an honorary doctorate from Chapman University in Orange, California. [June 2002]
Franco Columbu was best man at Arnold's wedding.
Underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff as a result of an injury on the set of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Was in a sling for 3-4 weeks, but it was not expected to delay the completion of the movie. [29 January 2003]
Ranked #9 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003).
The character Rainier Wolfecastle in "The Simpsons" (1989) is based on him.
Won Mr. Olympia title seven times (1970-1975, 1980).
James Cameron orginally wanted him for the role of Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984), but when Arnold walked into the restaurant to meet Cameron about the role, Cameron took one look at him and said "You're a machine!" and that's why he got the role of The Terminator.
Announced his candidacy for the Governorship of California on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992) on August 6, 2003.
Suffered a back injury (among other various assorted injuries) while filming Conan the Barbarian (1982) when the dogs who were chasing him jumped him from behind and he fell down the rock he was climbing to escape them.
In Demolition Man (1993), Sandra Bullock's character Lenina Huxley is telling Sylvester Stallone's character John Spartan about the Arnold Schwarzenegger Presidential Library, explaining that, based on the sheer popularity of Schwarzenegger's movies, a Constitutional amendment was passed in order for Schwarzenegger to run for President, which, according to Huxley, he did. In 2003, ten years after this film's release, Schwarzenegger ran for the office of Governor of California, and won the election on 7 October 2003. While Schwarzenegger is not eligible to run for the presidency by present laws (as a naturalized citizen, not a native-born citizen as required by the Constitution), most past presidents have been governors of their respective home states. Some members of Congress are currently considering an amendment to the Constitution to allow foreign-born US citizens to be allowed to run for the Presidency, specifically with Schwarzenegger in mind, although other members of Congress are strongly opposed to the idea.
Had one elder brother, Meinhard (1946-1971).
His mother was Aurelia Jadrny (1922 - 2 August 1998) and his father was Gustav Schwarzenegger (Graz, 1907 - 1973), married in Murzsteg, 20 October 1945. His mother's surname is Czech.
Was elected Governor of California as a Republican on 7 October 2003.
Turned down the role of John McClane in Die Hard (1988). The role went to Bruce Willis instead.
TV Guide selected Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992) to run for Governor of California as the greatest TV moment of 2003.
Said that filming the climatic fight at the end of Predator (1987) was made difficult by the fact that the late Kevin Peter Hall, who played the Predator, couldn't see through his mask.
Has the record for winning the most major bodybuilding events in history, 13 (1 Mr. Junior Western Europe, 7 Mr. Olympias, and 5 Mr. Universes).
After he had started lifting weights as a teenager, he noticed that his body was becoming disproportionate. His arms, shoulders and chest were developing nicely, but his calves and lower legs weren't coming along as he wanted. To motivate himself to work harder on his calves, he cut off all of his pants (trousers) at the knee. Walking around like that, people would look at (and maybe even laugh at) the big man with 'chicken' legs. It worked.
His father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, nicknamed him "Cinderella" as a child and his older brother, Meinhard, constantly picked on him growing up. Both men were killed while driving under the influence.
Is one of only two actors to appear in all three of the 'Terminator' films (_The Terminator (1984)_ , Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)). The other is Earl Boen who portrayed the character of Dr. Peter Silberman in all three films.
Only the second governor in California's history to be born in a foreign country. John Downey, the 7th Governor of California, was born in Ireland and served from 1860-1862.
Has his look-alike puppet in the French show _"Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988)_ .
Went AWOL from the Austrian army to enter his first bodybuilding contest.
Stumped for President George W. Bush the weekend before his re-election in Ohio, as Schwarzenegger has always had a strong relationship with Ohio.
He was voted the 53rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
Has played a character who died in only four of his films: _Terminator, The (1984)_ , Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), End of Days (1999) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003).
Was considered for the role of the gentle giant Fezzik in the 1970s when William Goldman's book "The Princess Bride" was first proposed to be made into a film (The Princess Bride (1987)).
Had his first romantic scene in a movie with actress Sandahl Bergman, in Conan the Barbarian (1982).
Is good friends with fellow bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen...who, ironically, portrayed "Thorgrim," one of his leading foes in _Conan the Barbarian (1982)_ .
Turned down a request to reprise his Conan character in Kull the Conqueror (1997) (originally titled "Conan the Conqueror"). Also, he was supposed to play Conan in Red Sonja (1985), though ultimately, a new character was created who was essentially Conan in everything but name.
Is the only person to receive Razzie nominations for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple (with himself cloned) in the same year. All for the same movie, The 6th Day (2000).
In German, the word "schwarzen" means "black," and "egger" means "ploughman." So "Schwarzenegger" is "Black Ploughman."
His life strangely mirrors the life of Conan from _Conan the Barbarian (1982)_ . Conan was born in a small village and grew up to be a physically powerful man from years of slavery. After winning great fame as a gladiator, he is given to wine and women, but later rejects this hedonistic lifestyle and goes on to perform great heroic feats, and eventually he is crowned king. Arnold was born in a small Austrian town and took up weightlifting as he got older. After achieving success as a bodybuilder, he indulged in drug abuse and womanizing, but he later rejected this and went on to become a vocal supporter of social causes, and was eventually elected governor of California.
Performed many of his own stunts in his films, owing largely to the fact that it was hard to find stunt doubles who matched his size. Billy D. Lucas, Joel Kramer and Peter Kent eventually became his personal stunt doubles and close friends.
His famous line "I'll be back", which originated from The Terminator (1984), was originally written as "I'll come back".
Initially refused to star in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) because James Cameron, who created the character and directed the first two films, would not be directing the third installment. Arnold tried to persuade Cameron to do the third film but Cameron declined and, feeling that the Terminator character was as much Arnold's as it was his own, Cameron advised Arnold to just do the third film and ask for a lot of money.
While filming the behind the scenes documentary for the special edition DVD of Conan the Barbarian (1982), the microphone hit him in the head at the end of the interview, to which he immediately joked "You see, I can't even do an interview about Conan without getting hurt".
Addressed the Republican National Convention in 2004.
The etymology for Arnold is "Eagle Power."
Grew up in a house that had no phone, no fridge and no toilet.
Was engaged to Brigitte Nielsen. [1985]
Was the spokesperson for Japanese DirecTV, a competitor to Quentin Tarantino's endorsed local satellite TV operator SkyperfecTV.
Was considered for the title role in Flash Gordon (1980). The part eventually went to Sam J. Jones instead, because producer Dino De Laurentiis felt Schwarzenegger's German accent was ill-suited for this role. DeLaurentiis (in his heavy Italian accent) told Schwarzenegger, "You have an accent! I cannot use you for Flash Gordon! No! Flash Gordon has no accent! I cannot use you! No!" Ironically, Jones had to temporarily get rid of his own Texas accent for said role.
While filming Predator (1987) he became close friends with co- star Jesse Ventura, who was also later elected a state governor (Minnesota).
John Milius originally intended him to do the narration of Conan the Barbarian (1982) but the studio didn't trust his accent, so the narration was performed by Mako instead, who played the wizard.
Withdrew from the city of Graz the right to use his name in association with its soccer stadium and returned his "Ehrenring" (ring of honor) after some politicians in the town had started a campaign against Schwarzenegger due to his refusal to stop the execution of convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams (20 December 2005).
The Green Party of Austria has resolved to strip Schwarzenegger of his Austrian citizenship due to his support for the death penalty.
On 12 December 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger refused to grant clemency to quadruple murderer and former gang leader Stanley Tookie Williams, who had been on Death Row for 24 years.
He was soundly defeated on all four propositions of his "special election" in November 2005, which cost the state of California an estimated $45 million. Schwarzenegger accepted personal responsibility for the defeat, and appointed a Democrat as his new Chief of Staff.
Second actor to be elected Governor of California. The first was Ronald Reagan.
Broke six ribs in a motorcycle crash (December 2001).
February 2005 - he and his 12-year old son, Patrick, were injured in a traffic accident when a car ran into Arnold's motorcycle. Patrick was in a sidecar. Arnold received 15 stitches.
He has been nominated for a Razzie Award as Worst Actor eight times during his career, and in 2004 received a special award for being the "Worst Razzie Loser of Our First 25 Years."
His performance as The Terminator in the "Terminator" films is ranked #40 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Was asked to reprise his "Dutch" character from the first Predator (1987) film for the sequel, but he declined because he didn't like the script. He chose to do Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) instead.
Children - Katherine Eunice (b. 1989), Christina Maria Aurelia (b. 1991), Patrick Schwarzenegger (b. 1993) and Christopher Sargent (b. 1997).
Was asked to appear in a sequel to his 1985 film Commando (1985) but declined.
Producer Joel Silver wanted Schwarzenegger to play "Doctor Manhattan" in a film adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen (2008) at one point.
He keeps the sword he used in Conan the Barbarian (1982) in the Governor's office in California.
Is a huge fan of professional wrestling.
Easily re-elected as Governor of California. [November 7, 2006]
He is the first member of the Kennedy family to become a state Governor.
Broke his right femur while skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho (23 December 2006).
Although German is his native language, all his movies have been dubbed into German by Thomas Danneberg for the German-speaking market because his strong Austrian accent doesn't fit with the type of roles he plays.
In 1992 Schwarzenegger joined President George Bush in New Hampshire and asked voters to "send a message to Pat Buchanan: Hasta la vista, baby.".
Related to actor George Wyner, who is also a close friend.
Early in his career he appeared as a contestant on "The Dating Game" (1965).
Was considered for the role of Judge Dredd in Judge Dredd (1995) in the early development stages. The part went to fellow Planet Hollywood founder Sylvester Stallone.
In his childhood considered John Wayne his idol and role model. As Governor of California, he issued a proclamation making 26 May 2007 "John Wayne Day" in the state.
Personal Quotes
"I was always interested in proportion and perfection. When I was fifteen, I took off my clothes and looked in the mirror. When I stared at myself naked, I realized that to be perfectly proportioned I would need twenty-inch arms to match the rest of me."
[Interview in "Starlog" magazine in 1091, explaining his reluctance to do sequels to most of his successful films from the '80s] "There's so little time to do all the things I want to do that I can't see any reason to get bogged down in sequels."
"Everything I have ever done in my life has always stayed. I've just added to it...But I will not change. Because when you are successful and you change, you are an idiot."
"I know that if you leave dishes in the sink, they get sticky and hard to wash the next day."
"I would rather be Governor of California than own Austria."
"I love the Hong Kong style of action movies, but that only looks good for small guys. The reason why the whole style was developed over there was because those guys were very puny guys - they're not powerful-looking guys, they're also not powerful guys. There's no weight lifting champion coming out of Hong Kong - maybe in the bantam division or the lightweight division or something like that, but normally you don't have really strong men coming out of there...they had to learn a technique that small people can do that are as effective as the big guy's strength. So that's where the martial arts came from."
"In the beginning I was selfish. It was all about, 'How do I build Arnold? How can I win the most Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympic contests? How can I get into the movies and get into business?' I was thinking about myself...As I've grew up, got older, maybe wiser, I think your life is judged not by how much you have taken but by how much you give back."
[during his campaign for California governor, about his history of "misbehavior"] "Where I did make mistakes, or maybe go overboard sometimes . . . I regret that. This is a different Arnold."
[on his fight scenes with the female T-X in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)] "How many times do you get away with this - to take a woman, grab her upside down and bury her face in a toilet bowl? The thing is you can do it, because, in the end, I didn't do it to a woman - she's a machine. We could get away with it without being crucified by who knows what group."
[on his decision to run for governor of California] "It was the most difficult decision in my life - except the one in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax."
[after being pelted with an egg at a political rally] "This guy owes me bacon now...you can't have egg without bacon."
[responding to criticism during a televised debate] "I just realized I have the perfect part for you in Terminator 4."
[victory speech after having won election as Governor of California] "I will not fail, I will not disappoint you, I will not let you down."
"The worst I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that."
"There's a lot of people who want me to get out of acting and want me to run for governor. I think it's mostly movie critics."
"You have to remember something: Everybody pities the weak; jealousy you have to earn."
"I took more abuse in Predator (1987) than I did in Conan the Barbarian (1982). I fell down that waterfall [forty feet] and swam in this ice-cold water for days and for weeks was covered in mud. It was freezing in the Mexican jungle. They had these heat lamps on all the time, but they were no good. If you stayed in front of the lamps, the mud dried. Then, you had to take it off and put new mud on again. It was a no-win situation. The location was tough. Never on flat ground. Always on a hill. We stood all day long on a hill, one leg down, one leg up. It was terrible".
[referring to Democrats at a political rally in Ontario, California, in 2004] "If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers . . . if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men."
[at the 3004 Republican National Convention] "Speaking of acting, one of my movies was called True Lies (1994). It's what the Democrats should have called their convention."
"President Bush knows you can't reason with people that are blinded by hate. But let me tell you something: Their hate is no match for our decency, their hate is no match for the leadership and the resolve of George W. Bush".
[Talking about his Conan the Barbarian (1982) director]: "John Milius used to call himself the dog trainer. Guess who were the dogs?".
[From an interview about his reaction to reading the original The Terminator (1984) screenplay] "I have read a lot of action adventure scripts, and this definitely was one of the best. I knew that I wanted to play the part of the Terminator as soon as I started reading."
[About being taken seriously]: "I don't care. The important thing to me is that I'm doing work that people enjoy out there, that the movie makes good money, that the studio makes the money back, and that I'm having a great time at what I'm doing. I don't even consider myself serious. So how do I expect people to take me serious? I think this whole Hollywood thing has to be taken much looser... it's just entertainment."
"There were various stepping-stones in my career. One of them was Conan the Barbarian (1982), because it was the first time I did a film with that kind of budget and I had the title role. The next big stepping-stone was The Terminator (1984). With "The Terminator", I think people became aware of the fact that I didn't really have to take my shirt off or run around and expose my muscles in order to sell tickets. After I did "The Terminator" and we had seen it be more successful than the Conan films, people then sent me a variety of different kinds of scripts - all in the action-adventure genre, but they were not muscle movies or Viking movies or pirate movies or anything like that."
[Talking about playing the Terminator]: "I had to act like a cyborg, which meant I couldn't show any kind of human fear or reaction to the fire, explosions, or gunfire that was going off around me. That can be difficult when you're walking through a door with its frame on fire, trying to reload a gun, and at the same time thinking in the back of your mind that people have accidents doing these kinds of stunts and that it might be my turn."
[About more sequels to The Terminator (1984)] "I don't necessarily want to leave the magic of the 'Terminator' movies behind, and who says we have to? According to what we know about the future, there were hundreds of Terminators built. The story of the Terminator could go on forever."
[From an interview expressing concern over making Conan the Destroyer (1984) less brutal than its predecessor, Conan the Barbarian (1982)] "I think it's a mistake. I know Sylvester Stallone made an extra $20 million because he got a PG rating for Rocky III (1982), but it's a matter of how much you want to stay within the character's reality. Can you slaughter people and never see blood? Is it possible? You must have battles. That's part of life, war, and the world of Conan."
[Talking about director Richard Fleischer]: "The first day Fleischer came to see me work out, he told me, 'Arnold, could you put on some more muscles?' I couldn't believe it! It turned out that Fleischer thought [John Milius'] decision to keep Conan clothed throughout the first film was a mistake. Fleischer believes that people want to see my body much more often than they did the first time around, so they will. I spend most of my time in Conan the Destroyer (1984) fighting off people while I'm dressed in a loincloth."
[About the dog accident while making Conan the Barbarian (1982)] "One of them hit me too soon. It caught me off guard and I went right over the ledge. I fell ten feet and landed on my back. I was covered with scratches and bruises. It was probably a pretty good beginning for this movie, though. It set the tone for the whole time we were there. This was going to be fun . . . but dangerous."
[Talking about director John Milius]: "There never would have been a Conan movie without him."
[on Warren Beatty] "There are some people who are close to him that say he is just starving for attention, and that's the way he gets attention. Other people said, 'Look, he's not working and he just feels like he should maybe get involved in politics'. Instead, I just think that maybe he is jealous that I did jump in. I find it silly, because I respect his work."
"Well, I think because a lot of people don't know why I'm a Republican, I came first of all from a socialistic country which is Austria and when I came over here in 1968 with the presidential elections coming up in November, I came over in October, I heard a lot of the press conferences from both of the candidates, [Hubert H. Humphrey] and [Richard Nixon], and Humphrey was talking about more government is the solution, protectionism, and everything he said about government involvement sounded to me more like Austrian socialism. Then when I heard Nixon talk about it, he said open up the borders, the consumers should be represented there ultimately and strengthen the military and get the government off our backs. I said to myself, 'What is this guy's party affiliation?' I didn't know anything at that point. So I asked my friend, 'What is Nixon?' He's a Republican. And I said, 'I am a Republican'. That's how I became a Republican."
[On refusing to grant clemency to condemned killer Stanley Tookie Williams] "After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency. The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict, or the decisions of the courts in this case."
[After undergoing heart surgery in 1997] "We made, actually, history, because it was the first time ever that doctors could prove that a lifelong Republican has a heart."
"As a kid - as a kid I saw socialist - the socialist country that Austria became after the Soviets left. Now don't misunderstand me: I love Austria and I love the Austrian people. But I always knew that America was the place for me. In school, when the teacher would talk about America, I would daydream about coming here. I would daydream about living here. I would sit there and watch for hours American movies, transfixed by my heroes, like John Wayne. Everything about America -- Everything about America seemed so big to me, so open, so possible."
"I have no sexual standards in my head that say this is good or this is bad. Homosexual - that only means to me that he enjoys sex with a man and I enjoy sex with a woman. It's all legitimate to me."
"I didn't think about money. I thought about the fame, about just being the greatest. I was dreaming about being some dictator of a country or some savior like Jesus."
"I'm 6' 2". I've heard rumors that I'm really much shorter in real life - like 5' 6" or something like that - which is ridiculous. I can assure you this is not the case. People look up to me, and not just because I do a lot of work in the community. I mean, most people really look up to me."
"California will not wait for our federal government to take strong action on global warming. We won't wait for the federal government. We will move forward because we know it's the right thing to do. We will lead on this issue and we will get other western states involved. I think there's not great leadership from the federal government when it comes to protecting the environment."
"Money doesn't make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million."
"I have to give the audiences what they enjoy seeing while I try to bring in a little something new, with different movies, different time periods and all those things. But what's important is to entertain the people -- everything else means nothing." (from a 1987 interview)
Salary
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
$30,000,000
Collateral Damage (2002)
$25,000,000
The 6th Day (2000)
$25,000,000
End of Days (1999)
$25,000,000
Batman & Robin (1997)
$25,000,000
Jingle All the Way (1996)
$20,000,000
Eraser (1996)
$20,000,000
Junior (1994)
$15,000,000
True Lies (1994)
$15,000,000
Last Action Hero (1993)
$15,000,000
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
$15,000,000
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
$12,000,000
The Terminator (1984)
$75,000
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
$250,000
Hercules in New York (1970)
$12,000
Where Are They Now
(October 2003) Is now the Republican Governor-elect of California
(August 2003) Running for Governor of California on the Republican ticket.
(December 2003) Refused to take the salary for Governor of California. Uses private jet at his own expense.
(2006) Release of the book, "Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger" by Laurence Leamer.
(December 2006) (around Christmas) Broke his leg when skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA.
(November 2003) (17 November 2003) Sworn in as Governor of California.

Biography of David Beckham

DAVID BECKHAM

Date of Birth2 May 1975, Leytonstone, London, England, UK
Birth NameDavid Robert Joseph Beckham
NicknameDave Becks Golden Balls DB7
Height5' 11½" (1.82 m)
Mini Biography
David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2006, scored in three different FIFA World Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England and Madrid, Spain, before agreeing to move to Los Angeles, to play for Los Angeles Galaxy team on a five year contract beginning on July 1, 2007.He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, son of Ted Beckham, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra West, a hairdresser. Beckham's maternal grandfather is Jewish, and he has been mentioning the religion as influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs.He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism and abuse in media.He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win the Premier League. At that time he married singer Victoria Beckham from the popular group Spice Girls, and the couple had their first son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year Beckham was given a permission to miss training routine, in order to look after his son Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection. Meanwhile, the Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, fined Beckham £50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was permitted, for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was spotted at a London fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's claim that Beckham should be able to train if his wife stayed home that day, caused a serious personal tension between two men. In February 2003, following the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson entered the changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.David Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public. On the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a big picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing and unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing him to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's forte has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his efficient free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield position has required a higher physical endurance through the entire game. "David Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously, as one of British national treasures in the movie Love Actually (2003).He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1, 2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan. He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher expectations.In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was also involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable, and he was criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to Barcelona in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European Champions League. However, during that season, he expanded his international presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles and East London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England, and became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups. In the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team lost and was knocked out of the World Cup.In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250 million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes of all time.The Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999), Romeo James Beckham (born 2002), and Cruz David Beckham (born 2005) who was named "Cruz" in honor of their friend Tom Cruise.IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov
Spouse
Victoria Beckham
(4 July 1999 - present) 3 children
Trade Mark
Number 7 shirt for Manchester United and England
Number 23 shirt for Real Madrid
Trivia
Engaged to "Posh Spice" Victoria Adams, who's part of the British Pop group The Spice Girls. [25 January 1998]
Father of Brooklyn Beckham. The couple picked the name "Brooklyn" because they were in Brooklyn when they found out Victoria was pregnant.
Won the treble with Manchester United (Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League). [1999]
His first goal for England came at the Stade Felix-Bollaert in Lens in the 2-0 victory against Colombia on June 26 1998 during the World Cup.
Voted the #1 best male body in "Celebrity Bodies" (UK) magazine. [October 2001]
Voted best dressed male by readers of "Heat" (UK) magazine. [December 2001]
He began his footballing career at the age of 17.
Welcomed second child son Romeo Beckham on September 1, 2002. The baby weighed 7lbs 4oz.
Has been dubbed a master of set-pieces specialising in free-kicks and has developed one which is known around the world as the 'Beckham', which involves lifting the ball over the 'wall', sending it towards the far post, but bending it back to the near post confusing the keeper and having the ball just dip under the bar for the goal.
Scored on his first team debut in the European Cup against Galatasaray.
Was signed by Manchester United to their youth training program at the age of 14. His youth team also featured the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes - his current team mates.
Voted the 91st worst Briton in Channel Four's poll of the 100 Worst Britons. [11 May 2003]
17th June 2003 - signed a 4 year deal worth £24.5m to play for Real Madrid.
He began his soccer career at the age of 17.
Former Manchester United footballer.
Signed new contract with Manchester United until 2005, making him the highest paid footballer in Britain at that moment - though he would be sold to Real Madrid a year later. [May 2002]
Was signed by Manchester United to their youth training program at the age of 14. His youth team also featured the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes - his eventual (now former) team mates.
Declared he will retain the England captaincy, despite criticism for poor performances and two missed penalties in Euro' 2004. [June 2004]
In November 1996, Beckham was abroad on his first trip with the England squad, in Tbilisi, Georgia. There, he saw the video that would change his life. It was "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls. Beckham pointed at the screen and said to his best friend Gary Neville that the girl dressed in a black PVC catsuit (Victoria) was the woman he wanted and if she wanted him, they would be together for ever. A few months later, they began dating.
David and Victoria held a lavish, star-studded party for the christening of their two sons, Brooklyn, 5, and Romeo, 2. The ceremony was held on the grounds of the Beckhams' Hertfordshire mansion (23 December 2004).
Third son, Cruz Beckham, born in Madrid [20 February 2005].
Was famously sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup in France for retaliation.
He wears a new pair of football boots for every game he plays at an estimated cost of £300 a pair.
Had his likeness made out of a napkin in "American Dad!" (2005) by Roger the Alien.
The godfather of his sons, Brooklyn & Romeo, is Elton John
Among the guests at his 30th birthday party were Elizabeth Hurley, Elle Macpherson and Geri Halliwell.
He played for England in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups of Soccer. He was named captain for the national team in 2000 but announced his resignation from that prestigious position on 2 July 2006 (the day after England were knocked out of the 2006 World Cup).
He played for England in the 2006 FIFA World Cup of Soccer.
Gary Neville - his teammate in the national English football team - was best man at his wedding.
Stood down as England captain after they were knocked out of the 2006 FIFA World Cup (2 July 2006).
Relinquished the captaincy of England after the team's quarter-final defeat to Portugal in the World Cup. [2 July 2006]
Godmother of his sons Romeo and Brooklyn is Elizabeth Hurley.
Chosen one of "Time" magazine's Time 100 in 2004.
After Real Madrid announced he would not remain there after the end of the 2006-2007 season, he signed a five-year-deal for the Los Angeles Galaxy, earning up to $50 million dollar a year in direct salary, with endorsements and profit-sharing.
Is mentioned in Love Actually (2003) when Hugh Grant's character lists "David Beckham's right foot" as one of the things that make Britain great.
After winning the Premiere Leauge title six times, the FA Cup four times and once the Champions Leauge (1999) with Manchester United, he hasn't won any important title while playing with Real Madrid.
He and his wife Victoria have three sons. Their names are Brooklyn Joseph (March 4, 1999), Romeo James (September 1, 2002), and Cruz David (February 20, 2005).
Was among the guests at Tom Cruise's and Katie Holmes' wedding ceremony in Italy.
Suffers from ornithophobia (fear of birds).
Personal Quotes
"I dream a lot about football and a lot of them have come true for me."
"The England team should be managed by an English manager."
"Whenever Man Utd lose people always say there's a crisis."
"As a footballer you always want to test yourself against the best."
"If someone had said in 1998 after my sending off in the World Cup that I would be leading my country out within three years I would have laughed in their face."
"In Spain people have lunch and dinner a lot later - when I return to England I'll have to eat alone at midnight."
"Pelé was a complete player. I didn't see him live obviously, because I wasn't born."
"Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side" - when asked if he thought that he was a volatile player
"I like Victoria for herself, not for nothing else. I'd like her if she worked in Tesco."
"Shopping!" - Beckham describing his strengths
"At home things are hard. For instance, my curtains are never open, I get no privacy at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw daylight in my house."
"I think the most important goal I scored in Spain was the first one because people were wary about me coming over to Spain as a player - they thought I was just there to sell shirts."
On Real Madrid: "To experience playing and being in the same team as these players is something that might not ever happen again - to have so many players in one team. I just wanted to be one of these stars and play in this team."
"Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at this level. Well, he's the only manager I've actually had at this level. But he's the best manager I've ever had."
"I definitely want (my son) Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet."
"During the past few months, I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life. The simple truth is that I am very happily married, have a wonderful wife and two very special kids. There is nothing that any third party can do to change these facts." - denying any affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. [April 2004]
"The way I and my family have been treated is an absolute disgrace. At the end of the day, I'm a nice person and loving husband and father. I've been called a bad father, I've been called a bad husband and my wife has been called a bad mother. Things always hurt that are said about my family, and for people to call my wife a bad mother is unbelievable. I'm a strong person, I'm a strong family man, I'm a strong husband and a strong father."
"I always wanted to be a hairdresser."
"People can say what they like. But me and Victoria will always stay together as husband and wife."
"I've got more clothes than Victoria."
It's one thing I like about America - they respect the sportsman. They put them up on a pedestal. They don't try to knock them down. And that's a great thing, to be respected by the whole country. It's so patriotic!
"You can practice penalties till the cows come home but it is different when you are out there in front of 60,000 people and the pressure is on."
"I have come to accept that if I have a new haircut it is front page news. But having a picture of my foot on the front page of a national newspaper is a bit exceptional."
Where Are They Now
(June 2003) Signs up for Spanish soccer team Real Madrid.
(July 2005) Is in Japan playing a tournament with his team Real Madrid
(2003) Release of the #1 International best-selling book, "Beckham - Both Feet on the Ground".
(June 2007) A member of the Real Madrid team who won the Spanish League season 2006/2007 after the game against Majorca (Real Madrid 3 - Majorca 1)Date of Birth2 May 1975, Leytonstone, London, England, UK
Birth NameDavid Robert Joseph Beckham
NicknameDave Becks Golden Balls DB7
Height5' 11½" (1.82 m)
Mini Biography
David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2006, scored in three different FIFA World Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England and Madrid, Spain, before agreeing to move to Los Angeles, to play for Los Angeles Galaxy team on a five year contract beginning on July 1, 2007.He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, son of Ted Beckham, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra West, a hairdresser. Beckham's maternal grandfather is Jewish, and he has been mentioning the religion as influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs.He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism and abuse in media.He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win the Premier League. At that time he married singer Victoria Beckham from the popular group Spice Girls, and the couple had their first son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year Beckham was given a permission to miss training routine, in order to look after his son Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection. Meanwhile, the Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, fined Beckham £50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was permitted, for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was spotted at a London fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's claim that Beckham should be able to train if his wife stayed home that day, caused a serious personal tension between two men. In February 2003, following the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson entered the changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.David Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public. On the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a big picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing and unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing him to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's forte has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his efficient free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield position has required a higher physical endurance through the entire game. "David Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously, as one of British national treasures in the movie Love Actually (2003).He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1, 2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan. He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher expectations.In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was also involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable, and he was criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to Barcelona in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European Champions League. However, during that season, he expanded his international presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles and East London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England, and became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups. In the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team lost and was knocked out of the World Cup.In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250 million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes of all time.The Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999), Romeo James Beckham (born 2002), and Cruz David Beckham (born 2005) who was named "Cruz" in honor of their friend Tom Cruise.IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov
Spouse
Victoria Beckham
(4 July 1999 - present) 3 children
Trade Mark
Number 7 shirt for Manchester United and England
Number 23 shirt for Real Madrid
Trivia
Engaged to "Posh Spice" Victoria Adams, who's part of the British Pop group The Spice Girls. [25 January 1998]
Father of Brooklyn Beckham. The couple picked the name "Brooklyn" because they were in Brooklyn when they found out Victoria was pregnant.
Won the treble with Manchester United (Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League). [1999]
His first goal for England came at the Stade Felix-Bollaert in Lens in the 2-0 victory against Colombia on June 26 1998 during the World Cup.
Voted the #1 best male body in "Celebrity Bodies" (UK) magazine. [October 2001]
Voted best dressed male by readers of "Heat" (UK) magazine. [December 2001]
He began his footballing career at the age of 17.
Welcomed second child son Romeo Beckham on September 1, 2002. The baby weighed 7lbs 4oz.
Has been dubbed a master of set-pieces specialising in free-kicks and has developed one which is known around the world as the 'Beckham', which involves lifting the ball over the 'wall', sending it towards the far post, but bending it back to the near post confusing the keeper and having the ball just dip under the bar for the goal.
Scored on his first team debut in the European Cup against Galatasaray.
Was signed by Manchester United to their youth training program at the age of 14. His youth team also featured the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes - his current team mates.
Voted the 91st worst Briton in Channel Four's poll of the 100 Worst Britons. [11 May 2003]
17th June 2003 - signed a 4 year deal worth £24.5m to play for Real Madrid.
He began his soccer career at the age of 17.
Former Manchester United footballer.
Signed new contract with Manchester United until 2005, making him the highest paid footballer in Britain at that moment - though he would be sold to Real Madrid a year later. [May 2002]
Was signed by Manchester United to their youth training program at the age of 14. His youth team also featured the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes - his eventual (now former) team mates.
Declared he will retain the England captaincy, despite criticism for poor performances and two missed penalties in Euro' 2004. [June 2004]
In November 1996, Beckham was abroad on his first trip with the England squad, in Tbilisi, Georgia. There, he saw the video that would change his life. It was "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls. Beckham pointed at the screen and said to his best friend Gary Neville that the girl dressed in a black PVC catsuit (Victoria) was the woman he wanted and if she wanted him, they would be together for ever. A few months later, they began dating.
David and Victoria held a lavish, star-studded party for the christening of their two sons, Brooklyn, 5, and Romeo, 2. The ceremony was held on the grounds of the Beckhams' Hertfordshire mansion (23 December 2004).
Third son, Cruz Beckham, born in Madrid [20 February 2005].
Was famously sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup in France for retaliation.
He wears a new pair of football boots for every game he plays at an estimated cost of £300 a pair.
Had his likeness made out of a napkin in "American Dad!" (2005) by Roger the Alien.
The godfather of his sons, Brooklyn & Romeo, is Elton John
Among the guests at his 30th birthday party were Elizabeth Hurley, Elle Macpherson and Geri Halliwell.
He played for England in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups of Soccer. He was named captain for the national team in 2000 but announced his resignation from that prestigious position on 2 July 2006 (the day after England were knocked out of the 2006 World Cup).
He played for England in the 2006 FIFA World Cup of Soccer.
Gary Neville - his teammate in the national English football team - was best man at his wedding.
Stood down as England captain after they were knocked out of the 2006 FIFA World Cup (2 July 2006).
Relinquished the captaincy of England after the team's quarter-final defeat to Portugal in the World Cup. [2 July 2006]
Godmother of his sons Romeo and Brooklyn is Elizabeth Hurley.
Chosen one of "Time" magazine's Time 100 in 2004.
After Real Madrid announced he would not remain there after the end of the 2006-2007 season, he signed a five-year-deal for the Los Angeles Galaxy, earning up to $50 million dollar a year in direct salary, with endorsements and profit-sharing.
Is mentioned in Love Actually (2003) when Hugh Grant's character lists "David Beckham's right foot" as one of the things that make Britain great.
After winning the Premiere Leauge title six times, the FA Cup four times and once the Champions Leauge (1999) with Manchester United, he hasn't won any important title while playing with Real Madrid.
He and his wife Victoria have three sons. Their names are Brooklyn Joseph (March 4, 1999), Romeo James (September 1, 2002), and Cruz David (February 20, 2005).
Was among the guests at Tom Cruise's and Katie Holmes' wedding ceremony in Italy.
Suffers from ornithophobia (fear of birds).
Personal Quotes
"I dream a lot about football and a lot of them have come true for me."
"The England team should be managed by an English manager."
"Whenever Man Utd lose people always say there's a crisis."
"As a footballer you always want to test yourself against the best."
"If someone had said in 1998 after my sending off in the World Cup that I would be leading my country out within three years I would have laughed in their face."
"In Spain people have lunch and dinner a lot later - when I return to England I'll have to eat alone at midnight."
"Pelé was a complete player. I didn't see him live obviously, because I wasn't born."
"Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side" - when asked if he thought that he was a volatile player
"I like Victoria for herself, not for nothing else. I'd like her if she worked in Tesco."
"Shopping!" - Beckham describing his strengths
"At home things are hard. For instance, my curtains are never open, I get no privacy at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw daylight in my house."
"I think the most important goal I scored in Spain was the first one because people were wary about me coming over to Spain as a player - they thought I was just there to sell shirts."
On Real Madrid: "To experience playing and being in the same team as these players is something that might not ever happen again - to have so many players in one team. I just wanted to be one of these stars and play in this team."
"Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at this level. Well, he's the only manager I've actually had at this level. But he's the best manager I've ever had."
"I definitely want (my son) Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet."
"During the past few months, I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life. The simple truth is that I am very happily married, have a wonderful wife and two very special kids. There is nothing that any third party can do to change these facts." - denying any affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. [April 2004]
"The way I and my family have been treated is an absolute disgrace. At the end of the day, I'm a nice person and loving husband and father. I've been called a bad father, I've been called a bad husband and my wife has been called a bad mother. Things always hurt that are said about my family, and for people to call my wife a bad mother is unbelievable. I'm a strong person, I'm a strong family man, I'm a strong husband and a strong father."
"I always wanted to be a hairdresser."
"People can say what they like. But me and Victoria will always stay together as husband and wife."
"I've got more clothes than Victoria."
It's one thing I like about America - they respect the sportsman. They put them up on a pedestal. They don't try to knock them down. And that's a great thing, to be respected by the whole country. It's so patriotic!
"You can practice penalties till the cows come home but it is different when you are out there in front of 60,000 people and the pressure is on."
"I have come to accept that if I have a new haircut it is front page news. But having a picture of my foot on the front page of a national newspaper is a bit exceptional."
Where Are They Now
(June 2003) Signs up for Spanish soccer team Real Madrid.
(July 2005) Is in Japan playing a tournament with his team Real Madrid
(2003) Release of the #1 International best-selling book, "Beckham - Both Feet on the Ground".
(June 2007) A member of the Real Madrid team who won the Spanish League season 2006/2007 after the game against Majorca (Real Madrid 3 - Majorca 1)

DAVID BECKHAM'S CAREER
Is David Beckham the best football (soccer) player in the world? Most critics and seasoned soccer fans would say no. They are more likely to give that distinction to players like Ronaldhino, Tierry Henry or Christiano Ronaldo.
However Beckham is arguably the most popular football player right now. His rise to stardom has little to do with his marriage to one of the "Spice Girls."
His ability to pass the ball with pin-point accuracy and his trademark freekicks have made him very popular among his peers. His fans also recognize him as the freekick genius who is second to none.
His freekicks are so remarkable that the movie "Bend It Like Beckham" was made in honor of his skills. Very few players have ever received that kind of recognition. Only Pele of Brazil could fetch more votes in a popularity contest.
Who really is David Beckham?
David was born on May 2, 1975 in Leytonstone, London to Ted and Sandra Beckham. David's parents were Manchester United supporters and he accompanied then to many of the games.
He signed for Manchester United as a trainee in July 1991 and he was instrumental in helping the club win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992, scoring in the second leg of the final against Crystal Palace.
On September 23, 1992, David made his first team debut as a substitute in the Rumbelows Cup tie at Brighton and Hove Albion.
During the two-and-a-half year wait to make his League debut, he collected a runners-up medal in the 1993 FA Youth Cup (United lost to Leeds in the final) and a reserve team championship medal in 1994. He also played five matches on loan for Preston North End, scoring two goals for the Lancashire club.
His Premier League debut eventually came at home to Leeds United on April 2, 1995. Partially as a result of injuries to key starters, David established himself in the first team during the 1995/96 season.
David played predominantly in the right midfield position that used to be occupied by Andrei Kanchelskis, and started to show the knack for scoring great goals, including the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. At the end of the season Man United walked away with their second Double.
The springboard that launched Davids's famous career came during the 1996/97 season. David was compared to Pele when he scored his most famous goal - from the halfway line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. He went on to earn his first senior cap for England, on September 1, 1996 against Moldova in Kishinev.
David's match-winning performances during 1996/97 helped United to win another Premiership title and reach the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. On a personal level, he was voted Young Player of the Year and second in the overall Player of the Year poll.
Manchester United's 1997/98 season was one to forget as they finished second to Arsenal in the League, lost to Barnsley in the FA Cup and were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by Monaco. David enjoyed a memorable moment, when he was selected for England's World Cup Finals squad.
During the 1998 World Cup Finals Beck scored a stunning freekick for England against Colombia and was hailed a national hero. He was later branded a villain, however, when he was sent off for a foul on Diego Simeone as England were knocked out in the second round by Argentina. That was the first red card of his career.
The World Cup Finals left David at the bottom of his career. He was a hated man in England and many predicted the end of his football areer. He mustered up the courage and resilience to bounce back and prove his critcs wrong. In the first League game of the 1998/99 season against Leicester City, he curled in one of his trademark freekicks in stoppage time to prevent defeat.
If England's 1998 World Cup campaign was the depth of dispair for Beckham, them Manchester United's successful Trebble season in 1998/1999 was the height of ecstacy.
The most important match of that season was the UEFA Champions League Finals with Bayern Munich. Manchester's 2 goals were scored off corner kicks taken by David Beckham in overtime. The goals were scored by substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
England eventually forgave Beckham for his 1998 World Cup sins and readily accepted him as the captain of the national team.
Beckham captained England for the first time in a friendly match in Italy and retained the armband for the friendly with Spain and the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Finland, against whom he scored an important goal at Anfield.
He went on to lead to team to the 2002 World Cup Finals. In the game against Argentina, he scored the only goal - a penalty after Michaels Owens was tripped up. Argentina had a premature exit from the tournament after drawing 1-1 with Sweden in their next match. Poetic justice?
The 2002/03 season was not a memorable one for Beckham as he found himself on the bench for some key matches. In a bizarre incident, he was struck on the forehead by a stray boot that was kicked in frustration by Sir Alex Ferguson in the dressing room. Rumors that he and the boss were not on speaking terms fueled the speculation that he would be sold at the end on the season.
Unfortunately for many Manchester United fans, the rumors turned out to be true. David Beckham was sold to Real Madrid for £25 million.
After more than 3 years at the Bernabeu, Beckham is moving to the USA. David Beckham agreed to a £128million ($250 million) five-year deal with the LA Galaxy. He will ply his trade in the US and help sell MLS tickets (and T-Shirts).
Beckham already has a soccer academy in Los Angeles which shares a home with the Galaxy.