ARNOLD TEAMS UP WITH FORMER CO-STARS

Arnold Schwarzenegger has teamed up with former on screen co-stars Danny DeVito and Bill Duke to help drum up more film business for the Golden State of California. DeVito, who starred along side Arnold in 1988's hit comedy Twins and in 1994's Junior , and Duke who appeared next to Arnold in 1985's Commando and 1987's Predator , were both named to the California Film Commission, a 26-member group that encourages movie makers to produce their work in the state.

He also named Oscar winning actor and director, Clint Eastwood, star of the Dirty Harry movies to the Commission, along with The Cosby Show producer, Tom Werner, and Lili Zanuck, the producer of Driving Miss Daisy .

"Just to show you the talent we have here, between Clint and Lili and me we have three Oscars" joked Schwarzenegger. Eastwood's movie Unforgiven won him two Oscars in 1992, for best director and best picture, whilst Zanuck won the best picture Oscar for the movie Driving Miss Daisy in 1989.

During a news conference, Schwarzenegger said that Eastwood was his idol and had inspired him to get into acting back in the 1970's, when he was a world champion bodybuilder.

"The mission is very important to keep production here," Schwarzenegger said, speaking about the risk of other states or countries attracting Hollywood productions. "We want to make sure that Hollywood becomes the booming town it once was."

"Also what is important is to make the costs come down and make it free of charge to shoot here in some of the state properties," he added. "Also this commission will be utilized to go to Washington and to lobby."

Eastwood had nothing but praise for Arnold 's attempts to improve the state's overall business climate.

"I don't think any of us has the answer to inspiring productions to stay in California but we can all roll up our sleeves and we can all go about trying to find the solution," said the former mayor of Carmel .

In recent years the commission staff budget has been trimmed. Schwarzenegger asked the new members to find "no-cost" ways to promote film production in the state, another of his plans to bring the former glory back to the golden state.

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Global Arnold Staff