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Schwarzenegger hams it up in Super Bowl spot

Arnold Schwarzenegger may be an action movie icon, but as the hilarious teasers for his upcoming Bud Light Super Bowl ad show, he can yuck it up with the best of them.

“Surprise,” the actor says in one of the two teaser clips released over the weekend, and he’s right because it’s unlikely that anyone expected him take on the guise of a passionate ping-pong player when word of his involvement in the beer company’s ad came out.

In the two videos, Schwarzenegger wears a track jacket, short shorts and a golden wig reminiscent of his hair in 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian.” Not exactly the get-up you’d expect to see the star of “Terminator” and “Total Recall” wearing.

Schwarzenegger’s comical appearance and his equally bizarre warm-up routine may at first seem absurd, they are also the perfect complement to the beer’s new tagline, “The Perfect Beer for Whatever Happens.”

While Bud Light may not mesh with Schwarzenegger’s lifelong championing of health and fitness, the star — who up until now has abstained from much commercial work in the US — is receiving a sizable paycheck for the gig. Page Six reported on Friday that the actor is being paid $3 million for the ad.

In addition to the Schwarzenegger clips, the company also released videos featuring comedian Reggie Watts, actor Don Cheadle and a llama. While those are the only personalities confirmed for the ads so far, the company has promised five celebrity cameos for the ad.

The ludicrous teasers give little hint of what’s to come, but Bud Light VP Rob McCarthy told Ad Age that all would become clear during the Super Bowl broadcast on Feb. 2.

“Our six Super Bowl ad teasers give viewers a peek behind the curtain, but fans will have to tune-in during the game to see how these seemingly unrelated events form one cohesive story,” he said.