Arnold Schwarzenegger

"I'll give back" is the new favorite motto of the legendary actor and former governor of California. And, as he tells renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés, no problem-from immigration to climate change to threats to our very democracy is too heavy a lift.

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Earlier this fall José Andrés, the chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, interviewed his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former governor of California, for Town & Country’s 2023 philanthropy issue. They spoke via Zoom, but the video call began with a hiccup. Andrés was late, and when he finally appeared on the screen he was walking down a hallway, tablet in hand, frantically looking for a place to sit. He was in Kyiv, he explained, and just out of a meeting with the first lady of Ukraine that had unfortunately run long. An aide found Andrés a quiet corner, and he and Schwarzenegger, who was at home in Los Angeles, began a far-ranging conversation about their shared passion for getting boots on the ground (especially their own) to help others.

Since leaving office, Schwarzenegger has championed a number of causes, including combating climate change, ensuring fair voting practices, supporting veterans, funding youth sports programs, and inspiring healthy living. Many of these efforts are conducted through the Schwarzenegger Institute at the University of Southern California, as well as via direct donations and his podcast and newsletter, Arnold’s Pump Club. Andrés founded World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to communities in distress around the world, after he and his wife Patricia Fernández de la Cruz traveled to Haiti in 2010 to help after a devastating earthquake hit the country. World Central Kitchen has since expanded to promote clean cooking and culinary training initiatives, as well as programs to help vulnerable communities prepare for disasters.

Andrés and Schwarzenegger spoke for the better part of two hours, pausing briefly when air raid sirens could be heard in the background in Kyiv and then jumping right back into their discussion.