Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger credits Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton for his decision to run for governor of California in the historic 2003 election, in which voters ousted Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and replaced him with superstar republican action movies.
The revelation comes in a new mini-documentary about Skelton, the storied columnist who has chronicled California politics for more than half a century.
“What most people don't know is that George Skelton is actually responsible, in some way, for me running for governor,” Schwarzenegger says in “Bold Ink: A Columnist's Life,” a mini-documentary produced by Los Angels. Times Studios will commemorate Skelton's 50th anniversary with The Times.
“I was on a movie set, I was doing 'Terminator 3,' minding my own business. Then I read the story about the retirement and called him,” Schwarzenegger recounts in the film by senior producer Karen Foshay. “And he says, 'Well, you'll be perfect, you'd be a great candidate.'”
Skelton proceeded to interview him, Schwarzenegger said, and then wrote a column about their conversation.
“Suddenly, from that moment on, people were bombarding me and saying, 'That's a great idea, you should run for governor,'” Schwarzenegger said. “I told him, 'Look, I'm making a movie, I don't have time for all this.' But eventually that dragged me into the whole thing.”
The documentary about Skelton's journalism career captures his unwavering style and includes interviews with several politicians he has covered over the years. It will air January 24 at 7 and 10 pm on LA Times Today on Spectrum News 1.
