This Boy Had No Shower & Plumbing Living with 'Tyrant' Dad — At 76, He's an Honored Actor, Sportsman & Doting Grandpa

• This boy grew up with a violent and abusive father.
• The boy also grew up in poverty and had no shower and plumbing.
• Today, the boy is a successful actor, sportsman, and loving grandfather.

This boy was born two years after World War II, on July 30, 1947. The boy, who grew to become an actor, was born in Thal, a mountain village in Austria. His upbringing was tough because his dad was traumatized by his war experiences.

He said his father struggled so much because Austria broke a lot of its men during World War II. When these men lost the war, they went home depressed, bringing their disappointment and scars with them.

The boy's dad was a police chief named Gustav. He, like most men in Austria at the time, had little to no kindness in him. The boy said his dad was a "tyrant" who would terrorize him and his big brother, Meinhard.

Gustav would smack and beat the boy and his sibling with a belt. He would pit them against each other and make them work to earn their breakfast. Gustav would make Meinhard and the boy compete on who would get the best Mother's Day flower for their mum, Aurelia. Still, the boy's dad would strike Aurelia whenever he came home drunk and screaming at three in the morning.

His family was poor. They had no plumbing, shower, or flushing toilet. Meinhard and the boy had to fetch water from the nearest well, which was a quarter mile away, even when it rained or snowed.

The 76-year-old added that it was great being a grandpa to the "beautiful Lyla."

Due to the distance, the family had to use as little water as possible. When they bathed, they used the same water in a wash basin. Gustav would go first, and then Aurelia, and then the boy and his brother.

This poverty and violence made the boy hungry for success, and he developed a deep desire to leave home. He never shied away from work. When he started working as an apprentice, his father made him pay for food and shelter at their home, which irked him and gave him another motivation to leave home.

He admitted that every time his dad abused him or disapproved of what he did, it fueled the fire in his belly. Eventually, the boy left home and became successful. However, Meinhard wasn't as lucky as him. Gustav's abuse pushed Meinhard to drink too, and he died in 1971, aged 25, in a drink-drive accident.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Life Today

Arnold Schwarzenegger escaped abuse and poverty in 1968. He moved to the US at age 21 to take part in bodybuilding competitions. Aside from his professional achievements life, he also thrived in his personal life.

Arnold is a celebrated actor who mostly plays action heroes. He is also a professional bodybuilder and was the 38th Governor of California. The actor holds other titles such as businessman, philanthropist, best-selling author, and environmentalist.

Today, the Hollywood superstar is a family man. He is a dad of five, Katherine, Christina, Patrick, Christopher, and Joseph. Katherine is married to Chris Pratt, and they have two kids together: Lyla, born in August 2020, and Christina, born in May 2022.

Chris revealed that his kids call Arnold "opa," which means grandpa in Germany. Arnold also opened up about being a grandfather, saying it was fantastic, but it kind of made him feel old. However, the 76-year-old added that it was great being a grandpa to the "beautiful Lyla."

Arnold joked that he doesn't change his grandkids' diapers because Katherine doesn't let him and is very protective of her kids. When the actor was about to become a grandpa for the second time, he said being a grandfather was easy because all he had to do was play with his grandkids, and then they would leave.

The father of five is grateful for the family he has raised. Arnold said when his kids and his grandkids come over, the house lights up and becomes a jovial place to be. The boy who came from a tumultuous home did a great job and is now a man with a loving family.