Monica Barbaro, who has now acted alongside both Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger, compares her experiences with the two action legends. Reflecting on her roles in Top Gun: Maverick and Netflix’s FUBAR, she notes the stark differences between them.
Barbaro shared with Variety, “It’s funny, they could not be more opposite…Tom asks a lot of questions, and wants to understand every single piece of what’s going on. Arnold, if I started asking questions, he’d be like, ‘Better not to know.’ And that’s very trusting. It’s not to say that one approach is better than the other, but it’s just night and day.”
She further added how Schwarzenegger is very much the chill dude we have come to know and love, “Arnold is smoking cigars between takes, and Tom is working on the next seven scenes or doing push-ups or something.”
While acknowledging their contrasting energies and work styles, Barbaro emphasises their shared professionalism. “They both show up knowing their lines, work really hard and do not let the crew waste any time on their behalf.”
She also recalled Arnold Schwarzenegger’s love for chess, even prioritising a game over a birthday celebration. Despite their differences, Barbaro appreciates their dedication to the craft and their respectful treatment of others. “When people really care about the work, they can be No. 1 but not act like they can push people around.”
The Chicago PD star also expressed her gratitude for not encountering diva behaviour from either castmate. She mentioned that there was a collaborative atmosphere on set. Schwarzenegger’s series debut, FUBAR was released on Netflix on May 25th and is now available for streaming.
