The New Celebrity Apprentice Cast Impersonates New Boss Arnold Schwarzenegger and It’s Hysterical
There isn’t a soul on the planet who doesn’t have an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation in their back pocket, ready to be employed whenever necessary. With the iconic actor and former Governor of California taking his place at the head of the boardroom on NBC’s The New Celebrity Apprentice, we just had to find out who among the cast had the best impression of their new boss.
E! News’ Carissa Culiner caught up with contestants Kyle Richards, Porsha Williams, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Laila Ali, Jon Lovitz, Matt Iseman and Ricky Williams on the red carpet to put their skills to the test. The results? They’re priceless.
There’s also the small matter of what catchphrase the new boss man will be using when he gives each week’s unlucky celeb the boot. Former host and current President-Elect Donald Trump famously told his cast-offs, “You’re fired.” So what’s Arnold got up his sleeve? He remained tight-lipped about the specifics, but did shed some light on the process to find the perfect phrase.
“The funny thing is, you never know on your own what works,” he said. “I remember when I said the line ‘I’ll be back’ in The Terminator, I had no idea that anyone would repeat that line or that it would be a great phrase. When I said it, I didn’t even want to say it. I remember arguing with Jim Cameron…I said, ‘No, it sounds better “I will be back.”‘ You try out different things and eventually something comes up.”
When The New Celebrity Apprentice premieres, Schwarzenegger will be aided by an impressive roster of advisors that includes Tyra Banks, Jessica Alba, the founder and CCO of the Honest Company and Honest Beauty, Warren Buffett, described as an “investment guru” by NBC, and former Microsoft CEO and Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, as well as Schwarzenegger’s nephew, prominent entertainment attorney Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger, as he wrangles the celebrity contestants.
As a refresher, here’s the full list of contestants heading to the boardroom:
- Laila Ali, retired boxing world champion and daughter of Muhammad Ali
- Brooke Burke-Charvet, actress, TV host and CEO of ModernMom.com
- Eric Dickerson, pro football hall of fame running back
- Boy George, Grammy-winning singer
- Matt Iseman, America Ninja Warrior host
- Carrie Keagan, actress, writer and former host of VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live with Carrie Keagan
- Carson Kressley, Emmy-winning reality TV fixture and celebrity stylist
- Lisa Leslie, four-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion
- Jon Lovitz, comedian and former Saturday Night Live star
- Vince Neil, lead vocalist of Mötley Crüe
- Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, former star of Jersey Shore
- Kyle Richards, actress and star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
- Chael Sonnen, former UFC fighter and mixed martial artist
- Porsha Williams, singer and star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta
- Ricky Williams, Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Texas and ESPN sports analyst
- Carnie Wilson, singer and member of Wilson Phillips
The New Celebrity Apprentice premieres Monday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
