Meet the cast of Terminator 2
In 1991, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” became one of the most popular films ever made. The movie was a sequel to the 1984 film “The Terminator,” and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cybernetic assassin sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton. The cast also included Robert Patrick as the T-1000, Edward Furlong as John Connor, and Joe Morton as Miles Dyson.
Robert Patrick
Before landing a role in the sequel to Terminator, Robert Patrick lived in a car. He’d be in and out of bars during the day and would spend his evenings working on forgettable Roger Corman straight-to-video features. After being denied a role in the original Terminator, he went on to score a small role in “Die Hard 2” as a henchman.
As the T-1000, Patrick plays the role of a human with an aggressive nature. In this role, he does not show much aggression, but his manner of movement and speech creates the illusion that he is a robot. His acting and dialogue also demonstrate the actor’s ability to convey menace. Patrick’s role is also notable for its use of physical effects. Unlike many other actors, he has an idiosyncratic style that makes him look like an unnatural machine.
Although Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the film, Patrick was cast as a tough guy whose ability to fight the robot was underrated. His tough persona and cold blue eyes earned him an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. In addition to acting in two sequels, Patrick also starred in the horror satire Tone-Deaf, which was directed by Richard Bates Jr. in 2003. The movie follows a widowed baby boomer Harvey who rents his home to a twenty-something. Olive’s liberal views cause him to become disturbed and calls millennials “wivel, lazy millennials.”
Linda Hamilton
In the original film, Cameron and his team planned to have the T-800 eject itself into molten steel, but CGI technology wasn’t advanced enough to do this. That meant that the sequel to “The Terminator” was delayed until the 1989 film, “The Abyss,” because the storyline required more than one Sarah Connor. Fortunately for fans, the actresses had a daughter, Leslie Hamilton Gearren, who played Sarah, who was a close friend of her sister’s.
In the original film, Cameron and his team planned to have the T-800 eject itself into molten steel, but CGI technology wasn’t advanced enough to do this. That meant that the sequel to “The Terminator” was delayed until the 1989 film, “The Abyss,” because the storyline required more than one Sarah Connor. Fortunately for fans, the actresses had a daughter, Leslie Hamilton Gearren, who played Sarah, who was a close friend of her sister’s.
Aside from Linda Hamilton, other female actors played important roles in the franchise. Linda Hamilton was cast as Sarah Connor, a fictional action heroine that belongs on the Mount Rushmore of action heroes. During the original movie, Sarah was a normal young woman who was unaware she was one of humanity’s saviors. Her relationship with her son John would be forever altered, and she would eventually find herself in a life-altering situation that would impact the lives of both her son and society.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The shooting of the film was difficult, but Schwarzenegger managed to pull off the shotgun twirl. The actor was also harmed by a spinning shotgun. He picked the wrong prop, and the smaller lever caught his fingers. The weight of the gun falling back almost broke his hand. However, the stunt paid off. The actor’s hand did not break, but he still managed to pull off the stunt.
Edward Furlong
Before playing the role of Edward Furlong in Terminator 2, this young man had a brief relationship with a girl named Jacqueline Domac. They dated for three years before a statutory rape lawsuit was brought against him. She later sued him for domestic abuse in 1999, but it was never prosecuted. Since then, Furlong has been steadily working in the film industry. He also starred in American History X. In 2000, he checked into a rehab program, and later went on to battle drug addictions. His first stint in rehab was for drug abuse and he remained in treatment for a year and a half, after which he was arrested for domestic violence.
Jennifer Goldstein
The actress first worked with director James Cameron when she appeared in Aliens. He recommended her to Kathryn Bigelow for her vampire movie Near Dark. Then, he reunited with Goldstein for Terminator 2.
After graduating from Cal State Fullerton, Goldstein starred in Disney’s MULAN. She also played Princess Jasmine in ALADDIN. After spending seven years performing in various school productions, she went on to have a lucrative acting and singing career in New York City. During this time, she returned to college to earn her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. Her film credits include the original version of “Alien” (1996), as well as a number of other feature films.
Photo credit: Terminator 2: Judgment Day