Most people remember Conan the Destroyer for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return to the sword-and-sorcery genre, but the 1984 sequel’s real story lies in its wildly unconventional supporting cast. 

The scattered details about this ensemble have lived in fragments across decades of interviews, behind-the-scenes reports, and production notes. We’ve pieced together these stories from various sources to reveal what really happened when Hollywood assembled one of fantasy cinema’s most diverse and unpredictable casts. 

What emerges is a portrait of ambitious casting choices that pushed boundaries, created genuine chemistry, and occasionally resulted in actual injuries. These are the real accounts of what happened when athletes, musicians, and seasoned actors collided in the mystical realm of Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age. 

Wilt Chamberlain as Bombaata

Wilt Chamberlain’s transition from basketball to barbarian combat presented extraordinary physical challenges that went far beyond typical stunt work. Earning $360,000 for his role as Bombaata, Chamberlain’s character was written specifically for him after he expressed interest in acting. At 7 feet 1 inch, Chamberlain’s imposing frame created immediate practical problems. Most notably, production couldn’t find a horse large enough for him to ride. This led to them ultimately importing a specially large horse from Spain to Mexico just to accommodate his scenes.

The production team also had to build special oversized props for Chamberlain to handle, creating custom weapons that matched his enormous frame. Despite these logistical nightmares, Chamberlain performed approximately 90% of his own stunts, wielding massive weapons like maces with the same power he had demonstrated on basketball courts. However, his difficulty with choreographed fight scenes due to his size and lack of acting experience created additional challenges for the stunt coordinators.

The physical demands proved manageable for the athletic legend, but the acting challenges were more daunting. Director Fleischer strategically minimized Chamberlain’s dialogue, recognizing his strengths lay in physical intimidation rather than dramatic performance. Critics noted that as an actor, Wilt makes a great basketball player, yet his commanding presence created genuine menace on screen. Interestingly, Andre the Giant was originally supposed to play Dagoth, the demon god at the film’s climax, which would have created an even more spectacular size dynamic.

Grace Jones as Zula

Grace Jones’s portrayal of Zula represented the film’s most successful character innovation, with the actress bringing elements of her own fierce personality directly to the warrior role. 

Jones underwent 18 months of intensive training specifically for the film, mastering weapon choreography with such commitment that she accidentally hospitalized two stuntmen with her fighting stick during filming – breaking one stuntman’s nose in her enthusiasm during fight scenes.

Her unique fighting style incorporated elements from her dance background, creating a distinctive warrior aesthetic that hadn’t been seen in fantasy films before. The production team was initially concerned about her unpredictability on set, but this raw energy translated into authentic screen presence. Jones would often stay in character between takes, maintaining Zula’s fierce demeanor throughout the production day.

Her influence on Zula’s character extended beyond physicality. The role represented a significant departure from the original male Zula in Roy Thomas’s Marvel Comics adaptation, with producer Dino De Laurentiis specifically seeking Jones because they wanted a warrior whose very presence would shatter expectations and sear itself into audience memory. This appears to have worked wonderfully, as critics noted that her performance appeared convincing because it wasn’t an act – Jones carried her uncompromising attitude into the character, creating what Roger Ebert praised as rock star charisma.

Mako as Akiro the Wizard

Mako’s interpretation of Akiro the wizard evolved significantly from his narrator role in the original Conan the Barbarian. Where his first character served as a hermetic chronicler, Akiro became an active participant in magical combat, notably engaging in a sorcerous duel with Dagoth’s guardian. Mako’s approach to playing magical characters was practical, as he embodied the philosophy of being a practitioner but not a believer, using magic as a tool without being consumed by mystical ideology.

Drawing from decades of theatrical experience, including Academy Award and Tony nominations, Mako balanced humor with gravitas. His performance served as a bridge between supernatural and mundane worlds, helping translate mystical threats into practical action for his companions while maintaining the dignity necessary for dramatic moments involving life-and-death magical knowledge. 

Tracey Walter as Malak 

Tracey Walter’s Malak underwent significant casting changes that shaped the character’s comic nature. David Lander was originally cast but forced to leave due to deteriorating health from multiple sclerosis, with Danny DeVito also initially considered for the role. 

This recasting forced reshooting of scenes and affected the ensemble’s chemistry development. The comic relief appears intentional from the beginning, aligning with Universal Pictures’ mandate for a more family-friendly sequel after calculating that a PG rating could increase ticket sales by 50%. Though, this was much to the chagrin of castmates like Schwarzzenaeger, who reportedly told executives that they shouldn’t try and “make Conan the Barbarian into Conan the Babysitter”. 

Walter brought his established character actor persona to the role, having specialized in playing sidekicks and henchmen throughout his career. However, critics found his performance phenomenally irritating, noting that comedic moments often undermined tension in action sequences. The disputes about the film’s direction between De Laurentiis and Universal Studios centered heavily on how much comedy to include.

Olivia d’Abo as Princess Jehnna 

Princess Jehnna represented a significant departure from Robert E. Howard’s original Conan stories, with d’Abo receiving direction that prioritized fairy tale conventions over source material authenticity. At just 14 when filming began (celebrating her 15th birthday on set), this was her professional screen debut following only a single TV commercial. Her character was partially inspired by classic fairy tale princesses rather than Howard’s typically more complex female characters.

The character was designed as a petulant teenaged princess who would evolve from sheltered innocence to empowered ruler. The film includes scenes where Jehnna asks Zula for warrior training and questions Malak about relationships, showing her journey toward independence. 

Extended scenes of the journey to find the Horn of Dagoth, which were ultimately cut, would have shown more of her character development. This character arc – from protected virgin sacrifice to self-determined queen – was deliberately crafted to provide a positive female empowerment message, though it completely inverted Howard’s literary Taramis from A Witch Shall Be Born.

Sarah Douglas as Queen Taramis

Sarah Douglas initially repeatedly turned down the role of Queen Taramis because she had no interest in playing any more comic-strip villainesses after establishing herself as Ursa in the Superman films. She only accepted after learning Grace Jones had joined the cast, being somewhat of an admirer of Grace and her work.

Douglas’s preparation involved transitioning from otherworldly Kryptonian motivations to human religious fanaticism. While Ursa was driven by straightforward conquest, Taramis required more nuanced emotional work – she genuinely believed in her cause and felt justified in sacrificing her niece for divine purposes. 

Several scenes involving Douglas were cut to secure the PG rating, including a sex scene with Schwarzenegger, slapping Chamberlain, a virgin sacrifice, and the seduction of a statue. More elaborate virgin sacrifice rituals and additional dialogue explaining the mythology of Dagoth were also removed, indicating she had prepared for a more complex, adult-oriented villain role.

Watch Conan the Destroyer (1984) Now

Conan the Destroyer succeeded as a fascinating experiment in ensemble casting, even if it didn’t spawn the franchise its creators envisioned. The diverse group of performers brought authentic intensity, unexpected chemistry, and genuine commitment to roles that could have easily become caricatures in less capable hands.

Four decades later, these performances still surprise viewers discovering the film for the first time. The ensemble’s energy, authenticity, and occasional chaos create an experience that feels distinctly different from other fantasy films of its era and for that, we are forever grateful. 

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