STRONG AMBITION TWO SIDES OF SCHWARZENGGGER ON SCREEN IN 'SEE ARNOLD RUN'.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

An ordinary guy from Austria comes to California with a big dream. He works hard to pick up English, pushes himself to build his champion physique, earns millions as a Hollywood action star, then immerses himself in politics as a moderate Republican and unseats a Democratic governor in a rare recall election - in a blue state, no less.

But tonight, Arnold Schwarzenegger finally can say he has arrived. He's the subject of a made-for-TV movie.

``See Arnold Run'' shifts between two distinct chapters in Schwarzenegger's life: The 2003 candidacy that began with an announcement on ``The Tonight Show'' with Jay Leno that stunned even close associates, and his breakthrough in the mid-1970s when he appeared in the documentary ``Pumping Iron'' and won his multiple Mr. Olympia bodybuilding titles.

Writer Matt Dorff drew on actual footage from both periods, including the interview Arnold and wife Maria Shriver gave to Oprah Winfrey, as well as the insights of fellow 1970s bodybuilder Frank Zane and Sacramento political insider Bill Bradley.

Sixty-three-year-old German-born Jurgen Prochnow (``Das Boot'') plays the man who would be governator, and 36-year-old Austrian Roland Kickinger (``Son of the Beach'') is the flexing flirt of Muscle Beach. Mariel Hemingway plays the alternately doting and driven Maria.

``Of course I was scared a little bit to begin with,'' Prochnow said. ``That was quite a challenge for me to do this because he is very much alive, and everyone can compare what I did with what he is like, because he is an American icon. He is a public figure, and you can see him every day on the news and in newspapers.''

Like other actors playing real-life roles, Prochnow talks of trying to capture the essence of the candidate's nature more than mimicking him outright.

``You try to get close to this human being, the essence of the character. That's the most important thing. I think that's even more important than looking identical or something, because then you learn something more about the character that way.''

That said, Schwarzenegger is surely one of the most photographed and videotaped figures of the last two years, so there is a viewer expectation of at least aiming for ``identical.''

``That's my hair,'' Prochnow says with a little pride. ``It looks exactly the same (as Arnold's). Sometimes in a wide shot you can't tell the difference. It was dyed and then blow-dried to get in the same shape as he has.''

He said the preparations included hours of camera and wardrobe tests, and a lot of time on his part reviewing campaign footage to work on Schwarzenegger's accent, his speech patterns, and the way his stance and stride display his intensity and confidence.

The makeup artists had one extra trick for Prochnow. ``We tried some lifting stuff there because I think he has done some (face)lifting,'' he said. ``I don't know whether it's true, but it looks like it.''

Kickinger, on the other hand, seems not so much to be acting as to be leading his life as an A student of all things Arnold. He came to the United States seven years ago for college, then put down roots in Los Angeles to focus on bodybuilding. Among his many pro competitions were two Arnold Classics.

Since 1999, he has been trying his hand at acting, with TV guest roles and several commercials. He also has appeared in sketches on ``The Tonight Show.''

``I haven't done any parodies (of him),'' he says. ``I never would think about making fun of a guy who really means so much to me, who motivated me through all these years.

``That's what we initially didn't want with the biopic. We didn't want to do any kind of parody, like Hans and Franz (on 'Saturday Night Live').''

The similarities between Schwarzenegger's and Kickinger's paths are not lost on the younger man.

``That's what makes it really very easy to get into this character,'' he said. ``I had a really good understanding of what it meant as an immigrant to come over to the new country and really start from scratch with nothing.''

The two actors differ in their political views. Prochnow, a U.S. citizen living in Los Angeles, says he did not vote for Schwarzenegger, and his position has not changed since playing the role.

Kickinger, on the other hand, has a bannered link on his www.kickinger.com site to joinarnold.com. ``I'm behind him as much as he supports me. And he opened so many doors for myself, for other immigrants, up-and-coming guys ... and it's great just to do a little something for someone who does so much for everybody else.''

Prochnow said he met Schwarzenegger only briefly years ago at the opening of the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Munich. Kickinger says he talked with Arnold about the movie some time ago.

``He wished me good luck, you know, and he was very positive about it.'' They agree Arnold probably has seen the videotape the producers made available to him, although his Sacramento press office could not confirm it.

Both spoke with admiration of Arnold's self-made successes on his way to the state Capitol. ``And I don't know whether it stops there,'' Prochnow added.

Kickinger says he has no political aspirations at this point. ``But never say never, right?'' he added with a laugh. ``That's enough (talk of) politics. I'm the guy who had the most fun on the set because I got to play the governor from the '70s. I didn't have to do politics.''

The script has one scene in which a pretty blonde licks chocolate syrup off his chest.

``I made sure it was sugar-free, though, so she wouldn't get fat,'' he said in one of many Arnold-esque moments in the conversation. ``Arnold says he never lived his life to be governor.''

Valerie Kuklenski, [phone]

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com

SEE ARNOLD RUN

What: Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor and his drive toward the Mr. Olympia title are paralleled in this made-for-TV movie.

Where: A&E.

When: 8 tonight.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jurgen Prochnow and Mariel Hemingway are the modern-day Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver in A&E's ``See Arnold Run.''

(2 -- color) Roland Kickinger, himself an Austrian-born bodybuilder with aspirations for a career in the movies, plays the young Schwarzenegger.