TAF'S NEW Q&A SESSION WITH ARNOLD!Perspectives: The interview! Reported by Randy Jennings Interview Within a half-an-hour following Arnold's speech at the Metro Chamber Perspectives event, The ARNOLD FAN gained admittance to the ultra-claustrophobic conference room where I would soon get the chance to interview Arnold Schwarzenegger. With the tightest of security at least four massive security agents, who could have been bodybuilders themselves, checked the room to make sure everyone was cleared with our all-access badges. With an "all clear" approval by the head security whispered into a device, Arnold entered the room to see a familiar face ready to greet him. After countless Arnold encounters and my now second interview this year, Schwarzenegger gave me a friendly greeting. Soon enough the Republican Terminator took to the podium.  ARNOLD: Make up! Schwarzenegger jokes but obviously as you can see in this exclusive The ARNOLD FAN photo he does not need it. Within seconds Arnold is ready for his first question.  Q: I know you have considered running for Governor and you have decided against it at this time but what kind of future in politics will there be for you? ARNOLD: Well, I think my only interest right now is taking care of the children - working with the kids and the after-school programs. I am also interested in promoting after-school programs in the WHOLE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. Having children myself, I am very much aware of the fact that it is extremely important, not only what our kids learn during the time they are in school but what happens AFTER SCHOOL. We all know that those kids will get attention at that time if they go to great after- school programs. The parents will help them with their homework, and also with the sports programs, dance, football or whatever there is. Those kids are always much better off than those who do not have any body there. So it's very important to focus on those things and to really take them seriously, because those kids are the future of this country. And of course one of the reasons I am so interested, besides having children myself, is like what I said in my speech - that I am a living example of what can be done in this country. This is the land of opportunities and what I want to do with it is make everyone enjoy it. Q: Are you considering getting into politics to increase those kinds of programs? ARNOLD: As you know not everything gets done and not everything comes together - not just politicians. It's very important to speak to politicians who are educated, it's very important to speak to people who are dealing in these after-schools programs, and it's very important to inspire the parents to create a movement. The time is right. Create a movement and let people know that this is the time to think about creating a program where every school can be involved, so that those parents and the children who want to stay after school - there is a possibility for the chance to do that. Why should parent's worry about it all the time when they have to go out to work and make a living and they wonder if their kids are safe. Are they being taken care of? Are they hanging out with a gang? Are they involved in drugs, violence or teenage pregnancy? Parents should not have to worry about those kinds of things. Q: Given what happened last Tuesday (Sept. 11), and now the high concern in Hollywood, both in the city and the industry, can you talk about your feelings what's going on? ARNOLD: Well, I think whenever something like this happens, you have to make a quick adjustment. You have to realize that certain movies are not appropriate when you have a tragedy like this and if you have a movie like this, for example like what we have - the subject where I play a fireman and all these kinds of things so I felt immediately that we should push back the movie and everyone in the studio agreed. The director, the producer and the studio executives agreed to do that and we are very happy with that decision. And we also agreed not to even think about it for the first couple of months and just really concentrate on what has happened in New York, the tragedy that has happened and all those people that are suffering in New York and Washington, and all the people all over the world who are at a lost due to this terrible situation. That's what we are going to think about and to think about WHAT CAN WE DO to help them, through financial help or other. And I think that is the most incredible thing in this country is to see how people have come together because of this and how politicians have come together from both parties complimenting each other and working together trying to solve these kinds of problems. Q: Your actor colleagues are getting together for this special that will air tonight on all the networks. Is it a proud feeling among actors to take part? ARNOLD: I think that the entertainment business has always been known to be very active in Hollywood for various different causes because they are very concerned. Yes, I think that it is GREAT! I think that it is very important that we all work together to raise money. Like I said today, I donated my money that I received today to the Twin Tower fund that mayor Juliani has established and I'm on that board also. I think we all need to work together. Q: What happened in the tragedy...New York changed our country. Will this change Hollywood? ARNOLD: Well, I cannot speak for everybody. There MIGHT BE a producer or director who feels like he doesn't want to do a certain movie now and change to another movie. I have no idea. I can tell you that I AM NOT GOING TO CHANGE and I am sure that many others are not going to change because I think that this is the kind of entertainment that we provide - whether it is a comedy or and adventure movie or an action movie or if it is some kind of a statement we are trying to make. All of those, if they are well made, people will like to see them. I think that it is just RIGHT NOW that we need to think about what we should release. NOW is inappropriate while people are going through this pain, while people have lost relatives and family members. Even though the L.A. Times ran a story about how movie rentals went through the roof. All of them were rented out, all the "Die Hard" movies, "Under Siege" and "True Lies" were all gone! Naturally at this time you want to see the good guy destroy the terrorists. But right now with me I still don't even want to think about it when I come out with my movie. I think that we have a great movie but whether it is next year in February, whether it is next year in June or even this month in November, we DON'T KNOW. Q: Have you spoken to John Milius about all this positive buzz the new King Conan: Crown of Iron script has been generating all over the internet? Will you be Conan again? Sorry Arnold fans, I never did get to ask THAT ONE like I had originally planned. It was going to be my next question (in fact I got out about the first two words) but I did not expect our time to run out and for Arnold to be whisked away by the tight security. At a prestigious event such as the Perspectives political event you really can't dive into ultra-fan related questions in an unprofessional manor but rather I had to let Arnold discuss his political views relative to the days events... and THEN hoped to have these answered! Unfortunately, this time we would not hear of "King Conan", "Ump" and "T3". Don't worry, this was The ARNOLD FAN's second interview with The Oak this year and there will be others. I'll talk to Arnold again very soon... but that is another story.  Special Thanks to Marlee Miller for the all access pass. - September 28, 2001
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