Arnold Schwarzenegger recently surprised fans by revealing that his most financially rewarding film wasn’t Terminator, but the 1988 comedy Twins, according to Variety. Speaking on the talk show Watch What Happens Live, Schwarzenegger shared that Twins earned him a staggering 40 million USD. The film, which co-starred Danny DeVito, marked their first on-screen collaboration and became a huge success.

“We didn’t take any upfront salary, but we owned a share of the profits. It was a brilliant move—we cashed in big time,” Schwarzenegger said. When asked whether he made more than 20 million USD from the film, he confirmed the final figure was even higher, stating, “It was more than that. More than any movie I ever made.”

Twins featured Schwarzenegger and DeVito as unlikely fraternal twins and showcased the actor's comedic side—something untested at the time. Schwarzenegger recounted the industry's hesitation: “People thought I was crazy. They said, ‘The more people he kills on screen, the more money we make. Why switch to comedy?’” It was director Ivan Reitman and Danny DeVito who believed in the concept. To get the project greenlit, Schwarzenegger proposed skipping traditional salaries to lower production costs to 16.5 million USD. In return, the lead trio secured 40% of the movie’s back-end profits—a deal that paid off handsomely.

The film grossed 216 million USD globally and earned even more through home video sales. Although a sequel titled Triplets—meant to include Eddie Murphy—was planned, it never materialized due to Reitman’s passing. Currently, Schwarzenegger stars in the second season of his action-comedy series FUBAR, now streaming on Netflix. He also has a holiday film in the works titled The Man with the Bag, where he’ll portray Santa Claus, according to People.