OJ Simpson was original choice to play The Terminator!

OJ Simpson was originally cast as The Terminator.

The ex-NFL star-turned actor, who had roles in films including ‘The Naked Gun’ film trilogy, was set to play the cyborg in James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi classic, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, who landed the role.

Arnie told the ‘Smartless’ podcast about how he had originally been cast as rebel soldier Kyle Reese instead of The Terminator: “I think OJ Simpson was cast, not yet a contract signed, but was cast already to play The Terminator.

“So Cameron was trying to talk me into playing the Terminator and I said, ‘Nah, I want to play Reese.’

“He said, ‘No, you understand the Terminator. You talk about how he has to walk and turn his head like a machine. That’s exactly what he has to do.’ “Anyway, he talked me into it.”

Arnie added OJ was bumped from the project after he showed “too much enthusiasm"” to play the part of the time-travelling robot assassin.

Cameron’s 1984 film took more than $78 million at the box office and spawned a string of sequels also starring Arnie.

Simpson was found not guilty in 1995 of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, 34, and her 26-year-old friend Ron Goldman, who were both stabbed to death in LA – but a civil trial later found him liable for their wrongful deaths.

Simpson declared in 1980 he would “love” to have an Oscar or Emmy for his acting efforts as he thought they were symbols of how “you’ve reached a level of competence in this business”.

He avoided starring in blaxploitation films, and played Detective Norberg in all three entries of ‘The Naked Gun’ alongside Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley and George Kennedy.