UK: Arnold Schwarzenegger avoids gun law question while launching his new film 'The Last Stand' in London

Record ID: 220994

  • Title: UK: Arnold Schwarzenegger avoids gun law question while launching his new film 'The Last Stand' in London
  • Date: 22nd January 2013
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED, KINGDOM (JANUARY 23, 2013) (REUTERS) ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNING FOR FANS FANS TRYING TO TAKE PHOTOS SCHWARZENEGGER TALKING TO A REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, SAYING: Reporter: Can I just ask - your movies are action movies and contain lots of gunfire. Do you have views on the gun laws in America? Do you think they
  • Embargoed: 6th February 2013 12:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVANWWQXMWNIJ29OFY1C3VTWCI6
  • Story Text: Arnold Schwarzenegger braved the wintry weather in London on Tuesday (January 22) for the UK premiere of "The Last Stand" but he couldn't brave a question about changes in gun laws in America.
    When asked if he had views on the gun laws in America and whether they should be tightened, he answered "I think that action movies are great and I think people love them and that's why they make a lot of money because people come to see them."

    "The Last Stand" is a film with a large amount of guns. It tells the story of the sleepy town of Summerton overseen by Sheriff Ray Owen (Schwarzenegger) and his inexperienced deputies. However, when a notorious leader of a drug cartel escapes from FBI custody in Las Vegas and head to Summerton to try and cross the border, Owen and his deputies must fight them off with all the firepower they can muster. Handily, there's a town member (Johnny Knoxville) who has a massive stock of artillery all to himself - and all bought legally.
    Knoxville wasn't as hesitant with his views about gun laws. "Well I think a lot of things need to be done. Gun laws - looking at those is really good. How we deal with the mentally ill and how we deal with our kids - there's a lot of things to be looked at but the gun laws need to be looked at so I'm glad that something is happening."
    Schwarzenegger stepped down as governor of California in 2011, and has since returned to the world of acting. Despite his previous position of power and his bodybuilder's frame, his co-star Jaimie Alexander who plays deputy sheriff Sarah Torrance in the movie, said he is not intimidating at all.
    She told Reuters on the red carpet "He's very much like a mentor to me in the film and he's is to me in person. He just came up to me and said 'do you want to have some fun?' and he was so kind and warm that I immediately felt at ease. But that's the kind of guy he is."
    Knoxville also mirrored her opinions. "It was tough at first because he's who he is and I was kind of intimidated but he's very down to earth and he's very personable and it just helped a lot when he's a regular guy. Although he's not a regular guy but he's a regular guy."
    When asked how he got around being intimidating to people, Schwarzenegger replied, "I don't intimidate people because that's not my style. I feel good in my own skin and I want to make people feel comfortable when they're around me. I want the actors to feel comfortable around me even though they're intimidated in the beginning but we always work together. I believe in working together and bringing people together."

    "The Last Stand" marks Schwarzenegger's first lead role in a movie since "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." It was released on January 18 but only took $6.2 million (US dollars) and only came in at number 10 in the US box office charts.
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