Schwarzenegger and the snapper: Belfast photographer behind iconic image meets Arnold again, 60 years on
He may be one of the most photographed men on the planet, but one image of Arnold Schwarzenegger has travelled around the world from right here in Northern Ireland.
Taken when he was just 19 years old, the image shows a young man already on his way to becoming a giant of the bodybuilding scene effortlessly hoisting two women up – one in each arm.
Today the action star was reunited with the man behind that photo, former Belfast Telegraph snapper Roy Smyth, and one of the women in his arms, Sandra Weir.
The three met once again after Arnie was awarded an honorary doctorate at Ulster University, with the event bringing back memories of the 1966 day that united them first time round.
Remembered Roy: “I got a call one Saturday morning telling me [promoter] Ivan Dunbar was at the back gate, and he had a bodybuilder who won a competition the previous night. He was this young Austrian guy, didn’t speak much English.
“Out the back was just brick walls, so I suggested he lift someone local; I went into the advertising department, and Sandra and Deirdre volunteered. He lifted the two girls up, one or two exposures, we shook hands and they went off – not even a cup of tea.”
Out of the tens of thousands of photos he took during almost 50 years at the newspaper, Roy told the News Letter, the Schwarzenegger photo is still the one that grabs widespread attention.
“It’s the only one that keeps bobbing up,” he said. “We heard nothing about him for 10 years, then he was an actor, then governor – and the picture kept coming back.
“It was nice to seem him again. I told him he hadn’t changed a bit.”