NEWS > ENTERTAINMENT > SCHWARZENEGGER IMPOSTER TAKES ON CONAN ROLE

SCHWARZENEGGER IMPOSTER TAKES ON CONAN ROLE

June 21 2009

Los Angeles, CA – The life of Arnold Schwarzenegger has oft been pointed to as an embodiment of the American Dream. His rise to success has been well documented; from life in a small Austrian town to the most famous body builder in the world; moving to the United States he married into American royalty, became the biggest
movie star on the planet, and eventually the Governor of the biggest state in the union. His version of the American Dream is like none other before and likely will never be repeated.

That hasn’t stopped people from trying though. Star after star has attempted to replicate the kind of success that Schwarzenegger has had. Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren both followed Schwarzenegger from across the pond but both fell short of his incredible success. Now into the fray enters a new entrant into to race and one with a little more connection to the Governator. Roland Kickinger has done more than anyone to follow in the steps of Schwarzenegger, first being born in Austria, then becoming a body builder, then following him into the acting world. Now the actor will take up the iconic role of ‘Conan’ which was first made famous by Schwarzenegger, raising fears that the young actor is attempting to take over the Governor’s life.

“I think anyone can understand why Schwarzenegger would be a little nervous about Kickinger. Aside from the obvious connections of heritage and body building, it appears that the actor has done more than just tried to be like Schwarzenegger, but actually making an effort to be him. That is the more disturbing part of the situation,” said Scrape TV Entertainment analyst Tracey Temple. “Yes he is taking on the Conan role but he also played a Terminator in the latest film and, perhaps the most unsettling role, played Arnold himself in a biopic. That steps over the line from fandom into stalking at a totally different level.”

Kickinger played Schwarzenegger in the 2005 television movie ‘See Arnold Run’, a performance that many critics described as ‘Eerie’, further amplifying the fear the young actor is creating for the governor and his family.

“There is a profound difference between inspiration and mimicry. Many young artists
and actors begin by copying those who they admire or respect but eventually they break away and start to define themselves in their own ways, much the same way that everyone does with their parents or their young friendships. We all use others as a jumping off point but then eventually become individuals capable of determining their lives. Some though just don’t grow out of that,” said Scrape TV Psychology analyst Dr. Sarah Welp. “It makes sense for Kickinger to have looked to Schwarzenegger as an inspiration and even as an idol but that appears to have mutated into a more malignant form of idolatry, covetousness. Now it is no longer good enough to be like his idol, he has to be his idol and is recreating the circumstances surrounding that person in the hope that those things will turn them into person. These type of fantasies eventually lead into bad areas either for the fantasiser, the subject, or both.”

Reportedly Kickinger has been actively pursuing Rory Elizabeth Kennedy, the daughter of Robert Kennedy and who bears a significant resemblance to cousin Maria Shriver, Schwarzenegger’s wife.

“Unfortunately without intervention and serious psychological help these types of situations tend to get worse and worse and quite often have bad endings. Because Kickinger is older the situation is even more dire. We can’t attribute this to a folly of youth or a phase that he will grow out of, it is something ingrained in his behaviour and something that will likely not simply disappear if it is ignored,” continued Welp. “If he starts to pursue roles where he plays a mismatched twin or a pregnant fertility doctor then we can be sure that we are looking at a potentially treacherous escalation of his psychosis that will likely end with some kind of bloodshed.”

Reportedly Kickinger has begun mulling a run for Governor when Schwarzenegger leaves office next year.

Samantha Dryden, Entertainment Correspondent

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