30 most shocking moments in late night history
By Jeremy Dick
30. Arnold Schwarzenegger announces Governor run on The Tonight Show
Nowadays, many of us might even think of veteran actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a politician just as quickly as we would a major movie star. Especially now that his run as the Governor of California has been over for a while, it’s literally old news. But that doesn’t make it any less shocking as when he first announced his campaign on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
At 56 years old, Schwarzenegger, who had given hints about running for office in the media around the time of his movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines being released, confirmed his plans to campaign to be the Governor right there to Jay Leno in front of the studio audience. His interest in politics was never taken seriously and it was predicted prior to the taping that he’d announce he wasn’t actually running.
Of course, Schwarzenegger stuck to his word, and would go on to win the election and become the Governor of California. He retired from acting for the entire duration of his time in office, returning to the big screen after completing two terms as the Governor in 2011. But, it was on The Tonight Show where it all began.
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