Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals getting help from comedy legend who taught him timing while promoting new self-help book on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS

Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed he got help from the comedy legend while promoting his new book on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Monday.

Stephen, 59, asked the 76-year-old actor about working with the late comedian Milton Berle, who died aged 93 in March 2002 in Los Angeles.

Arnold said he met Milton at a party and the comedian suggested they work together.

I said, “I need your help, Milton.” Because I have to give speeches somewhere. I want to start the speech in a funny way, but I don’t know how to make funny jokes. How to truly understand the American sense of humor. I have a German and an Austrian sense of humor, but not an American one,” Arnold said.

“Now he says, ‘Oh God, now I’m getting to be this Nazi’s teacher.'” He would complain. I don’t know if I can do it. But he was wonderful. We worked on the lines,” Arnold said.

New book: Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed the secret to his talk show success while promoting his new book on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday

Arnold recalled a joke Milton had written for him when he was presented with the award.

“They’ll give you a reward, Arnold. And when you thank them for the award, just make a joke. You say: “As a bodybuilder, I have received many medals and many trophies and awards.” And this award is the latest,” Arnold recalled Milton telling him.

“He would come after.” He was there in the audience, he came up to me afterwards and said “You stupid idiot. Why do you say ‘latest’ right now?” He said that’s not how things work. You see how I put the dots. and breaks. So you go out. You say, “I’ve won a lot of metals and trophies, I’m a bodybuilding champion and a lot of awards. But this is without a doubt the latest.” So he taught me about timing,” Arnold said while holding a cup of coffee as a prop for the awards.

‘It’s all about timing. So he would beat me up about it all the time. Idiot, Nazi and all those things he called me. But the bottom line is that writing jokes, writing lines in films, funny lines in films has always been very helpful to me. He was an absolute gem. He came to my engagement, wedding and everything. He was hanging out in the house. Brought a lot of cigars. He was a big cigar smoker. He brought me many cigars. “One of those wonderful relationships that have been built up over the years,” Arnold said.

In December 2007, Arnold as California Governor and First Lady Maria Shriver, 67, inducted Berle into the California Hall of Fame, located at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts.

Arnold has been on the talk show circuit while promoting his new self-help book, Be Helpful: Seven Tools for Life.

He admitted he was a “probably strict” father last week during an appearance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“Well, it depends on your definition. Because I think I was lenient with the way I grew up. But I think they’re probably strict by American standards,” said Arnold, who has children Catherine, 33, Christina, 31, Patrick, 30, and Christopher, 26, with ex-wife Maria.

Comedy help: Stephen, 59, asked the 76-year-old actor to get help from comedy legend Milton Berle, who died aged 93 in March 2002 in Los Angeles

Worked together: Arnold was pictured in November 1996 with Milton Berl in Beverly Hills, California

Late Comedian: At Milton’s memorial service in May 2002, Arnold spoke

About the time: Arnold recalled a joke Milton wrote for him when he was presented with the award

Fall colors: Arnold wore fall colors for his appearance on the CBS show

Busy guy: The actor and former politician was on a talk show while promoting his new self-help book Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life

Jimmy, 55, asked Arnold for an example of what would be considered strict in his household.

“I think the most common thing my children mention is that my son, for example, didn’t make his bed.” He made the nanny make the bed, which he wasn’t allowed to do,” Arnold said.

“I said the kids have to make their own beds.” They have to wash their own showers. They have to clean their own toilet, and they have to wash their own clothes,” he continued as the Los Angeles studio audience applauded.

“So I walked in one time and the bed was so immaculately made that I looked at him and said, ‘Patrick, did you do that?’ And he said, ‘No, I didn’t.’ I grabbed the mattress, opened the door, grabbed the mattress and threw it over the balcony and down into the pool,” Arnold said.

He added that Patrick had to drag the mattress and pillows back.

Arnold, who also has son Joseph Baena, 26, from an affair with housewife Mildred Baena, additionally shared with Jimmy the time he burned Catherine’s shoes in the fireplace after she repeatedly failed to put them away.

“Those are the things I do with the kids,” Arnold said.

Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life from Penguin Press is now available.