Miriam Margolyes Reveals Her Worst On-Set Experience With Schwarzenegger

When you’ve reached the level of fame Arnold Schwarzenegger has, you can pretty much pick and choose your co-stars. His career is packed with big names, and just about everyone in the industry has a yarn or two about working with him. But one name you wouldn’t immediately link with the action star is Miriam Margolyes. The outspoken British-Australian actor joined Schwarzenegger in the late-90s supernatural thriller End of Days, a film that’s as over-the-top as they come. Schwarzenegger took on the role of a New York detective up against the forces of evil, while Margolyes played a sinister carer with a secret agenda. The two even shared a bizarre fight scene that’s hard to forget.

On-Set Tensions and Unforgettable Moments

For most, sharing the screen with someone of Schwarzenegger’s stature would be a career highlight. Margolyes, though, has never been one to mince words about her experiences. She’s spoken out more than once about her time on set, including a candid chat on the I’ve Got News For You podcast in 2022.

“He was actually quite rude,”

she said.

“He farted in my face. Now, I fart, of course I do – but I don’t fart in people’s faces. He did it deliberately, right in my face. I was playing Satan’s sister, and he was killing me, so he had me in a position where I couldn’t escape and was lying on the floor. And he just farted. It wasn’t on film, it was in one of the pauses, but I haven’t forgiven him for it.”

Allegations Beyond the Prank

Margolyes didn’t stop at the infamous flatulence story. She also accused Schwarzenegger of being

“awfully gropey with women”

during filming, adding that he left her alone because he

“didn’t fancy me”

. Despite requests for comment, Schwarzenegger has never responded publicly to her claims. He’s kept quiet, perhaps deciding that a public spat with Margolyes wasn’t worth his time.

Career Fallout and Film Reception

If Margolyes’ stories are to be believed, Schwarzenegger’s behaviour on set was far from professional. Whether or not karma played a part, End of Days didn’t do his reputation any favours. The film is often seen as a low point in his career, one of several box office disappointments that had fans and critics wondering if the action hero’s best days were behind him. He passed up more promising projects like The Rock, opting instead for films like this and the ill-fated Collateral Damage.

It’s a stretch to say a single on-set incident could derail a career, but the timing certainly didn’t help. The film itself ends with Schwarzenegger’s character possessed by the devil, forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. It’s a wild finish to a story that, much like the behind-the-scenes tales, is stranger than fiction.