Getting to Know...James Cameron

Terminator': Where Are They Now?

Where has the cast of the first three 'Terminator' movies -- 1984's 'Terminator,' '91's 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day,' 2003's 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' -- gone? Mostly they've been terminated. In fact, only two actors (Arnie's one, do you know the other?) have appeared in all three films.

As we approach the release of the fourth movie in the series, 'Terminator: Salvation' (May 21), we catch up with the faces -- human and not so much -- that have populated the franchise. -- By Adam Duerson

Artisan Home Entertainment/ Everett Collection (2)

James Cameron

Writer/Director ('The Terminator,' 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day')

THEN: His rise to fame is the thing movies are made of: a college dropout, he dabbled in truck-driving until inspiration struck him during a 1977 screening of 'Star Wars.' Shortly afterward he was hired -- because first-time directors are cheaper -- to helm his debut movie, 'Piranha Part Two.' That awful experience fueled some bad nightmares, including a now familiar one about a robot hitman sent from the future. At least 'Piranha Part Two' was good for something.

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  Everett Collection

  James Cameron
  
  Writer/Director ('The Terminator,' 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day')
  
  NOW: With 'Terminator''s $38 million gross, Cameron earned director's chair on the sequel to 'Alien.' He bowed out of the 'Terminator' franchise after 'T2,' but not without a new wife, Linda Hamilton. That union fell apart -- allegedly due to infidelity -- while Cameron was becoming "king of the world" on his biggest smash, 'Titanic' (he's currently wed to 'Titanic' actress Suzy Amis). Up next: the 3-D 'Avatar,' starring Australian newcomer Sam Worthington, who, ironically, also stars in 'Salvation.'
  
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  • 'Terminator Salvation' Cast Interviews
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    Linda Hamilton
    
    PLAYED: Sarah Connor ('The Terminator,' 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day')
    
    THEN: A method acting student at the Lee Strasberg institute, Hamilton had plenty of hardships to channel as asskicker Sarah Connor: Her father died in a car crash when she was young; she later suffered from bipolar disorder and a cocaine addiction; and she had $100,000 embezzled by a former manager. Things finally turned in '84, starting with her lead in 'Children of the Corn' and culminating with her casting as Connor.
    
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      MGM

      Linda Hamilton
      
      PLAYED: Sarah Connor ('The Terminator,' 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day')
      
      NOW: After 'Terminator,' Hamilton won the lead in TV's 'Beauty and the Beast,' for which she earned an Emmy nom. She was hot again in '92 with 'T2,' even collecting MTV's Most Desirable Female award; but she's been relegated to voice-over and TV roles since, partly due to her own choice. She declined a role in 'T3' (the character, we learn, died of leukemia), and only her voice appears in the fourth film. She's blamed the failure of her marriage to her bipolar disorder and has since become a mental-health advocate.
      
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      • 'Terminator Salvation' Cast Interviews
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        Arnold Schwarzenegger
        
        PLAYED: T-800 Terminator ('The Terminator,' 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day,' 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines')
        
        THEN: The future Governator was little more than a 37-year old Austrian musclehead with a few grunting roles (for example, 'Hercules in New York') when he and James Cameron sat down to discuss the role of Reese, a time-traveling human, for part I. Cameron ultimately thought Arnie a better fit as the T-800, a part that had exactly 15 lines of dialogue, mostly robotic stuff, like "I'll be back," which Cameron had originally penned as "I'll come back."
        
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          Arnold Schwarzenegger
          
          PLAYED: T-800 Terminator ('The Terminator,' 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day,' 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines')
          
          NOW: Schwarzenegger was indeed back, this time as a hero, in 'T2,' the most profitable movie of '91; and he worked with Cameron again in '94 on 'True Lies.' His third 'Terminator' gig, in '03, earned another $150 million. Since then he's retired to focus on governing California, but that hasn't stopped him from tooling around like the T-800 on a motorcycle, which he's crashed twice. Rumor has it he'll cameo in 'Salvation.' In other words, he might be back.
          
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          • 'Terminator Salvation' Cast Interviews
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            Michael Biehn
            
            PLAYED: Kyle Reese ('The Terminator')
            
            THEN: Having already played a creepy stalker of Lauren Bacall in 'The Fan' ('81,) Biehn made perfect sense as the title villain. But so did Schwarzenegger, so Cameron swapped Biehn into the role of Reese, a future warrior sent back to protect Sarah Connor, who would eventually give birth to John Connor, the leader of the resistance. Reese also turned out to be one who impregnates Sarah; funny how that worked out ...
            
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              Michael Biehn
              
              PLAYED: Kyle Reese ('Terminator')
              
              NOW: 'Terminator' kicked off a long career full of military roles, two of which ('Aliens' and 'The Abyss') reunited him with Cameron. More recently, his part in the Robert Rodriguez half of '07's 'Grindhouse' has led to a career resurgence of sorts (he has five films in the can or in production for 2009-10). Though he won't be back for 'Salvation' -- the part's taken over by Anton Yelchin, who's also in theaters as the younger version of Pavel Chekov in 'Star Trek' -- he's kept an eye on the production. Of Christian Bale's famous on-set rant, Biehn recently said, "I thought it was kinda sad. He wouldn't talk to me like that."
              
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              • 'Terminator Salvation' Cast Interviews
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                Lance Henriksen
                
                PLAYED: Det. Hal Vukovich ('Terminator')
                
                THEN: Before he became a Cameron regular Henriksen twice worked with Sidney Lumet, first in 'Dog Day Afternoon' and later in 'Network.' The Cameron connection started when he starred in 'Piranha Part Two,' which earned him consideration for the 'Terminator' role (along with Biehn and O.J. Simpson). In the end he settled for a bit part as gruff cop who's not buying even a bit of Reese's time-travel story.
                
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