Despite being known as an action star, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been part of movies from other genres, and one Christmas classic did what none of his other big hits could. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting career began in 1970 in the fantasy action comedy Hercules in New York, but his big break arrived in 1982 in the epic sword-and-sorcery movie Conan the Barbarian. However, he fully established himself as an action icon when he starred in James Cameron’s The Terminator in 1984.

Schwarzenegger ended up reprising his role as Terminator in all the movies in the franchise, but he has also visited other genres through the years, such as buddy comedy with Twins and superhero with Batman & Robin. In 1996, Schwarzenegger surprised the audience by starring in the Christmas family comedy Jingle All The Way, directed by Brian Levant. Not only was Jingle All The Way a movie with a family-friendly tone, but it also did something that Schwarzenegger’s biggest hits couldn’t do.

Jingle All The Way Allowed Arnold Schwarzenegger To Play A Regular Guy

Jingle All The Way Has The Most Normal Arnold Schwarzenegger

Jingle All The Way follows Howard Langston (Schwarzenegger), a workaholic father who, after missing his son’s karate class graduation, plans to redeem himself by getting him the Christmas gift he wants the most: a Turbo Man action figure. However, the toy is so popular that, when Howard sets out to buy it on Christmas Eve, it’s sold out everywhere, and on top of that, he develops a rivalry with Myron Larabee (Sinad), a postal worker also looking for the Turbo Man action figure for his son.

What follows is a race and fight between Howard and Myron to get a Turbo Man action figure, leading them to comedic situations and culminating with a heartwarming ending – after all, it’s a Christmas family movie. Jingle All The Way wasn’t exactly a box office hit and got negative reviews from critics, but the performances of Schwarzenegger and Sinbad, mostly the comedy they brought, were praised. Not only did Jingle All The Way allow the audience to see another side of Schwarzenegger in of comedy, but it also did what his most successful movies haven’t: having him portray a regular man.

Howard is just a family man and mattress salesman wanting to fulfill his son’s Christmas wishes.

Howard Langston isn’t a Terminator, marine, secret agent, supervillain, or undercover cop (although he poses as one to escape arrest when falling into the trap of con men in Santa Claus suits), and instead is just a family man and mattress salesman wanting to fulfill his son’s Christmas wishes. Surely, Howard is ultimately seen by his son as a superhero, but he’s just a regular man wanting to be a better father and husband.

There Was No Better Actor For Jingle All The Way Than Arnold Schwarzenegger

Surprisingly, Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitted The Part Perfectly

By the time Jingle All The Way was in development, Schwarzenegger had already starred in three big comedies: Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Junior, but his character in each had something that made them stand out from everyone, whether being the result of a secret genetics experiment, an undercover detective, or a pregnant scientist (yes, really). Even in his comedic roles, Schwarzenegger’s characters have been special in some way, so playing a regular man in Jingle All The Way was perfect for him.

Even though Howard is a normal family man, Schwarzenegger does end up briefly playing a larger-than-life character at the end of Jingle All The Way. At the Christmas parade, Howard is mistaken for the actor playing Turbo Man and is dressed in the character’s costume. Howard literally becomes his son’s hero, but once the parade is over, he goes back to being a normal man and loving father, though with a different perspective on work, family, and Christmas.