Arnold Schwarzenegger has weighed into the raging debate about gun violence in movies and its parallels with real-life. Last week, Django Unchained director Quentin Tarantino exploded at a UK journalist who brought up the much discussed subject, and Schwarzenegger holds similar views to the controversial director - effectively, that movie violence is fun.
The 65-year-old former governor of California - who has made a career out of shooting bad guys - said, "I personally feel that this is entertainment. The other thing is a serious real life tragedy. I think that we are going to continue doing entertainment. That is what we are doing as our profession, but at the same time, we all have a responsibility, I think, to improve the situation that we are in." Schwarzenegger returns to the screen this weekend in The Last Stand, an action movie in which he plays the sheriff of an Arizona border town tasked with stopping a Mexican cartel boss from returning to Mexico. The Terminator star noted that it's important not to stigmatize mental illness following gun tragedies like the one in Newtown, Connecticut, and cited parenting, education, security and gun laws as contributing factors to helping tackle gun crime. "We as a society have the responsibility to look at this and leave no stone unturned," he said.
The Last Stand is Schwarzenneger's first major role since leaving office, though he had a smaller part in The Expendables 2, which he says helped him prepare for his latest film. Later this year, he'll star opposite Sylvester Stallone in The Tomb. "I feel I have a bigger range, acting-wise," said Schwarzenegger. "It could be because of the age. It could be because of my experience that I have had now as governor."
Watch The Last Stand trailer:
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