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Charles Gaines Dies: ‘Pumping Iron’ Author Who Helped Launch Arnold Schwarzenegger Was 84
Charles Gaines, the writer whose book and documentary Pumping Iron helped launch Arnold Schwarzenegger to global fame, has died at the age of 84. Schwarzenegger paid tribute to him on social media as "a lifelong friend", crediting Gaines with introducing bodybuilding to mainstream audiences and giving him his break in Hollywood.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942 and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Gaines wrote more than 25 books and contributed to publications including Harper's, Sports Illustrated and Playboy. His 1974 best-seller Pumping Iron became the 1977 docudrama chronicling Schwarzenegger's rivalry with Lou Ferrigno, while his 1972 novel Stay Hungry was adapted into a 1976 film also starring Schwarzenegger. Gaines additionally co-invented the sport of paintball in 1981 and is survived by his wife, Patricia, and three children.
In short
- Pumping Iron author Charles Gaines has died aged 84
- His work helped launch Arnold Schwarzenegger's Hollywood career
- Gaines also co-invented the sport of paintball in 1981
Explained simply
Charles Gaines was an American writer whose work helped bring competitive bodybuilding to a wider audience. In the 1970s, he co-wrote Pumping Iron, a book about the sport and its athletes, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.
The book inspired a 1977 documentary that followed the rivals as they prepared for a bodybuilding contest. Schwarzenegger later became an internationally known actor, and the book and film helped introduce him to audiences beyond bodybuilding. Gaines also wrote the novel Stay Hungry, which was adapted into a film starring Schwarzenegger.