Arnold Schwarzenegger – who served as governor of California until 2011 – wishes he had been able to run for the US presidency. Due to being born in Austria, however, the star would never be able to contest for the position.

The Republican actor, who revealed he won’t be voting for Donald Trump, told Adweek magazine: “If I’d been born in America, I would’ve run. Because now? This was a very good time to get in the race.”

Despite his time as governor, the 69-year-old star admitted he doesn’t necessarily love politics by adding: “I didn’t love politics, but I love policy.”

And the actor credits his days as a professional bodybuilder for teaching him how to sell himself and appeal to the masses.

“I realised early on in bodybuilding that you have to be able to sell yourself, your ideas, your position to the public. You have to set yourself apart, whether it’s policy or movies. How do you make them remember you?”

Arnold confessed he was inspired by early bodybuilding photos of Reg Park, prompting the actor to establish a similar vision.

He explained: “I thought, ‘Maybe that’s something I can copy.’ I had a clear vision of standing on a pedestal like him, and I never doubted it.”

And although he has returned to the big screen after leaving office, the star isn’t sure what the future will bring.

He revealed about future plans and his next project: “It has to sound appealing to me, it has to be challenging, it has to be something I can get consumed in. It’s fun to climb the mountain rather than sit at the top.”