Born to run: an Austrian bodybuilder finds success in America

Muscle & Fitness, Jan, 2005 by Shawn Perine

ROLAND KICKINGER TAKES ON THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME--ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S LIFETIME, THAT IS--IN THE NEW A & E MOVIE "SEE ARNOLD RUN" SCHEDULED AIRDATE JAN. 17 ON A & E BOB CLCHERILLO CHRIS COOK MIKE ERGAS MARIEL HEMINGWAY JURGEN PROCHNOW NICK STELLATE DIRECTED BY J.B. ROGERS SCREENPLAY BY MATT DORFF FOR MORE INFO WWW.AETV.COM ARTICLE WRITTEN FOR M & F BY SHAWN PERINE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR M & F BY BLAKE LITTLE GROOMING FOR M & F BY AMY NADINE FOR SOLOARTISTS.COM STYLING FOR M & F BY XAVIER CABRERA

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IN HOLLYWOOD born to play the part is a handy little phrase, designed to illustrate instances when an actor fits his role to a T. But it's rarely accurate. For example, it's been written time and again that Humphrey Bogart was "born" to play Rick Blaine in Casablanca, as if he were already an American expate running a cafe in French Morocco when he caught the casting director's attention.

No, the expression is often a misnomer, a hyperbolic statement erroneously used to illustrate an actor's virtuosity. Except in the case of Roland Kickinger. That's because Roland seemingly was born to play Arnold Schwarzenegger. And now he has his chance.

ROLAND'S VOTE Backstage at the 2003 Mr. Olympia contest, rumors of a TV movie chronicling Arnold's improbable rise to political stardom swirled about as freely as the pungent scent of ProTan. While speculation abounded as to the tack the biopic would take, everyone agreed that the casting director had a slam-dunk choice for a young Arnold. After all, when it comes to casting for the part of a tall Austrian bodybuilder-turned-actor, it doesn't hurt to have a tall Austrian bodybuilder-turned-actor at your disposal.

Former IFBB pro and Son of the Beach star Roland Kickinger had been compared to Arnold in bodybuilding magazines for nearly a decade when word of the film leaked. In fact, pretty much everyone between Hollywood and Muscle Beach figured that Roland's involvement in the project was already a done deal. Everyone, that is, except Roland.

It's not that he didn't want to portray his boyhood idol. On the contrary: Growing up as an aspiring bodybuilder in Vienna, Roland barely even dreamed of one day meeting, much less playing, Arnold. But he was all too aware of the broad strokes with which Hollywood has traditionally painted bodybuilders: either as buffoons good only for comic relief or monosyllabic heavies. He had also watched the steady stream of antagonists and accusers attempt to road-block Arnold's campaign for governor of California. Despite his landslide victory in the race, it was still open season on the new governor for many, and Roland was determined not to provide any further Arnold-related media fodder.

The actual call came in March 2004, six months after the rumor mill began churning. Producer Michael Goldstein asked Roland if he'd meet with him and writer Max Dorff to discuss their latest project, See Arnold Run, a docudrama for A & E Television Networks focusing on Arnold's campaign, with flashbacks to his bodybuilding days to illustrate their impact on his personal development.

Goldstein and Dorff knew they couldn't get away with using padded suits or CGI tricks to turn an ordinary actor into the world's most renowned bodybuilder. They needed a real bodybuilder who was a good enough actor to carry a film on his broad shoulders. The fact that one existed was a blessing. That he happened to have a natural Austrian accent was a godsend. After a half-hour pitch they sent Roland home, script in hand.

"I loved it," Roland recalls. "It was professionally written and very motivational. I immediately saw it as a great opportunity to portray my largest inspiration in a way that would be respectful to him." Any misgivings he may have had back in October disappeared faster than protein bar samples at an Olympia Expo. Roland Kickinger immediately signed on for the role of his lifetime.

THE LINEUP The team scheduled production for See Arnold Run to begin in late July 2004 in San Diego. With their lead locked up, they turned to filling the roles of Arnold's bodybuilding friends and competitors. Set to play Arnold's best friend and competitive adversary, Franco Columbu, was top amateur competitor Mike Ergas. In the role of Lou Ferrigno, they cast IFBB pro Bob Cicherillo, sporting a handsome pair of lambchop side-burns grown just for the occasion. The 2004 NPC USA super-heavyweight champ, Chris Cook, was slated to portray "The Blond Bomber," Dave Draper, and actor Nick Stellate was chosen as three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane. The film's producers had already secured the real Frank Zane to ensure the ultimate in verisimilitude both during script rewriting and the filming process.

While Roland was a lock to play the young Arnold from early on, the producers decided to cast someone else as elder statesman Arnold. German actor Jurgen Prochnow of Das Boot fame got the nod, and with Mariel Hemingway playing the role of California's first lady and former TV journalist Maria Shriver, the cameras began rolling.