Predator (1987) Arnold's Squad Schwarzenegger. Filming, facts, characters (15 photos)

A detailed look at all the members of Dutch's team in the classic film "Predator," directed by John McTiernan. How the film was made, what they do, and what happened to the actors.





Radio operator Rick Hawkins, a fan of comics and dirty jokes, played by Shane Black



His appearance clearly stood out from the ranks of Dutch's fighters. This was a deliberate choice by the creators, who wanted to add a guy to the squad who would stand out from the muscular warriors. An atypical warrior, a nerdy-looking man with glasses and a repertoire of dumb jokes, he was tasked with defusing the situation at the right moment, and Black accomplished this mission brilliantly. Shane said he hated the damned glasses he had to wear in the film, but McTiernan insisted—they were essential to creating the simpleton's image.

The glasses were kept, but the red beret was removed. Black later regretted this decision, as the paratrooper's beret made him stand out from the other soldiers in the squad. Black himself is the author of all Hawkins's dirty jokes. Rick was the Predator's first victim; nothing personal—that was the original idea of ​​the screenwriters, brothers Jim and John Thomas. Shane spent all his free time on set writing the script for "The Last Boy Scout." Black is a creative person, a seasoned writer; he wrote the scripts for the cult action film "Lethal Weapon," well known to all fans of the genre.

He also wrote screenplays for "The Long Kiss Goodnight," "Last Action Hero," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," "Iron Man 3," and other films. In his youth, he was a baseball fan and is said to have shown great promise. He was also on the varsity swim team. His close friend, Tim Robbins (Andy from "The Shawshank Redemption"), attended university with him. His favorite film genre, he says, isn't action films, but comedies. He has too much action at work, so he needs to unwind somehow. Shane Black is now 64 years old.

Sergeant Blaine Cooper, played by Jesse Ventura, recommended for the role by Arnold





In makeup, a suit, his unforgettable hat, and a killer minigun, Ventura looked incredibly cool. He compared the weapon to a chainsaw. Arnold tricked Jesse and won a bet over who had the biggest biceps; it turned out that the cunning Schwartz had arranged it with the costume designer. Ventura himself returned the favor and often teased Arnold on set.

McTiernan liked Blaine's chewing jaw and thug chin, so the cinematographer often used appropriate close-ups of the big man. The joke about the Tyrannosaurus rex is McTiernan's own; the original was about a sex machine. McTiernan retained the contemptuous spit on Dillon's shoe from the original script. Blaine's wound was originally much more serious; he couldn't continue the fight and was lying in the bushes. But McTiernan reasonably decided that a bullet wouldn't even be a mosquito bite for Blaine, and so the scene for the collection of memorable quotes with Poncho and the lack of time was born.

At the dawn of his working life, Ventura worked as a bodyguard and bouncer at a nightclub. He served in the Navy. Jesse, a famous wrestler, as he was called, was a flamboyant, crazy, and hot-tempered character. Jesse himself said: win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat. Jesse is also a well-known politician, the pinnacle of his career being the governor of Minnesota, where he was born and raised. He is known for his quirky statements and frequent skirmishes with journalists. In his youth, Ventura was a biker and now collects vintage motorcycles. He enjoys billiards and fishing. Jesse Ventura is currently 74 years old.

A tracker and scout, the most important soldier in Dutch's team, a descendant of proud Native Americans, Billy, played by Sonny Landham (real name William).



The screenwriters, the Thomas brothers, really liked him – his appearance, personality, manner of speech – and they even created that memorable scene with Billy's laugh for him. The writers wanted to imbue Billy with a special sense, the ability to see the memories of his ancestors who lived in the jungle and sensed the presence of predators. They wanted to show these visions.

But McTiernan wasn't keen on all these shamanic machinations, so the entire set of elements was removed from Billy's casting. Rumor has it that the Predator's murder of Billy was filmed, but the scene was deleted due to its excessive violence; the Predator's evisceration of Billy was too intense and bloodthirsty. However, McTiernan denied these rumors, saying he didn't film the scene, leaving Billy's death off-screen. In his youth, Sonny dreamed of becoming a professional football player: he played for the college football team, served in the army, toiled in the oil fields, and while taking acting classes, he worked part-time as a construction security guard and a loader.

Besides acting, he worked as a stuntman in film; as a stunt double, he broke a rib, broke his arm, and dislocated his shoulder. He retired from film in the mid-1990s, after which he appeared sporadically in a couple of low-budget projects. Sonny Landham was active in politics, running for office in various elections and making controversial statements, some of which were harshly received by the public, and he was widely criticized. But Sonny didn't care; he was known for his tough personality and, in general, this seasoned activist never takes back his words. Sonny Landham passed away in August 2017 at the age of 76.

Corporal Jorge Ramirez, nicknamed "Poncho," was a weapons and explosives expert. This role was played by Richard Chavez, who always believed he was chosen because of his military background.



Chavez was a Marine who fought in the Vietnam War. Casting director Jackie Burch echoed him, calling Chavez's appearance military-like, and McTiernan confirmed and approved. So, if you haven't noticed, Richard has a very military-like appearance, according to the filmmakers.

In the original script, he was the last one to die in Dutch's squad. McTiernan left this unchanged, but they changed the version: originally, Poncho was unwounded and died tracking the Predator, trying to plant an explosive charge—he was an expert, after all. Chavez's acting career spanned over 30 years, appearing in 30 films. He also had other interests, such as writing books, particularly about the Vietnam War, and voicing cartoon characters. He also created documentaries, all on military themes.

Fishing and hunting are especially important among his hobbies. In 2010, he founded Stonewood, a company that manufactures stone and wood products. His last film appearance was in 2016. Richard Chavez is now 74 years old.

Guerrilla movement representative Anna Goncalves, played by Elpidia Carrillo, was not one of Dutch's trained fighters, but as the story unfolded, she became part of his team and companion.



Recalling Carrillo, McTiernan said she knew more about her character than he did. The Mexican native prepared thoroughly for the role; on camera, she naturally argued in Spanish and English and generally let loose with emotion, giving it her all. McTiernan was pleased with the actress's dedication. In all versions of the script, Anna survived; in the original, she returned to her village, presumably to engage in guerrilla activity.

Before being cast in "Predator," Carrillo had been acting in films for nearly ten years in her native Mexico, where she was considered a promising actress capable of playing complex dramatic roles. In Hollywood, she confirmed her status and was in high demand, appearing in numerous films. She has now starred in over 70 films. She tried her hand at directing and screenwriting, without much success, and worked as a producer in her native Mexico on several projects like "The Rich Also Cry" and "Wild Rose." If only she knew how popular these hits were back then, how popular they were in our country. Carrillo continues to actively act in films; she is now 64 years old.

Sergeant Mac Elliot, played by Bill Duke



In the original script, the two buddies, Mac and Blaine, were vicious racists. The studio bosses and McTiernan didn't like this and changed the concept by casting Duke, a black man. The crew suffered food poisoning while filming in a luxury hotel in Mexico, where chaos and unsanitary conditions reigned. Bill was particularly hard hit and was even sent to a local hospital for treatment. But Duke pulled through and continued filming on schedule.

McTiernan explained that the razor scene was Duke's improvisation, a completely accidental take that turned out to be a successful one. The wild boar Mac killed was artificial, created specifically for the scene. McTiernan was furious, calling the fake boar a pathetic piece of work, and so filmed the scene late at night, barely showing the stuffed boar in the shot. Bill has a long history in filmmaking, with over 70 roles in film and television, 15 producer credits, and 55 directorial credits. He also starred with Schwartz in the popular '80s action film "Commando"—yes, that same tough Green Beret with the motel fistfights.

Duke is a close friend of Danny Glover; their friendship has lasted for many years. Duke is an avid sports fan, especially of boxing and basketball. Bill founded a foundation that helps aspiring actors. He continues to act in films, and age is no barrier; he's now 82.

CIA officer Al Dillon, played by Carl Weathers. McTiernan recalled that Carl was among the first to be cast, calling it an obvious choice.



In the draft script, the character's name was George, although his first name is never mentioned in the film; everyone calls him Dillon, but that's just his last name. The muscular greeting between Dutch and Dillon became a popular subject for various memes, and remains popular to this day. They changed the version of Dillon's death, where he was dragged wounded through the jungle by Dutch, and killed by the omnipresent master of the jungle, the Predator, but the scene was still filmed, with Poncho instead.

Dillon's death was called "Retribution" in the script – for being a liar who used Dutch's squad to eliminate the rebels. Along with Mac's death, the Predator's execution of the poor Dillon made it into the Top 10 horrific movie murders of the 1980s. Weathers played American football, and not just any football, but a professional one. He started in film as a studio security guard and as an extra, playing small roles when his salary was barely enough to buy a pack of crackers. But Karl broke through and fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an actor, with over 70 film and television roles, most recognizable for most as the unforgettable Apollo Creed from the "Rocky" series.

He considers the 1970s the best period of his career, a time when many challenges forged him. In the 1990s, Weathers made the list of the actor with the coolest on-screen mustache—yes, there is such a category. Karl passed away in 2024, at the age of 76.

Major Allan Schaeffer, nicknamed Dutch, or "Dutchman" as he was called in some translations, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger



Arnold prepared for the role by working out with Ventura, whose teasing prompted Schwarzenegger to visit the gym at 5 a.m. Unlike the other crew members, Arnie didn't get food poisoning; he was picky about his food and didn't drink water in the ill-fated hotel. But during filming, he developed a high fever and injured his back and ankle. He called the Mexican climate "torture": you swelter during the day, and in the late evenings and nights you shiver and shiver in the fake mud that Arnie's body was carefully coated with, which significantly lowered his body temperature.

A harsh conversation between Dutch and Dillon was removed from the script, where Schwartz's character reminisced about the Vietnam War and called Dillon a corrupt businessman. In the original script, Dutch, wounded, escaped the jungle after a fight with the Predator, and Anna and her men found Dutch after he returned home and helped him escape. Many of you are familiar with Arnold's filmography; in fact, you know these films by heart; they always sold in huge numbers. Schwartz, in general, distinguished himself in many fields, including as a distinguished bodybuilder and a motivator for many.

As a businessman, they say, there were some serious failures, but overall, Arnie was a wise investor, and he also was a politician, having once served as the governor of California. Arnold, 78, continues his film career. But his role in "Predator," along with his squad and the entire film, have long been a favorite among many film buffs, for whom the film has long been considered an unforgettable classic.