The year 1984 marked the premiere ofThe Terminator, a production that later became one of the greatest classics among action andscience fiction films. It transports the audience to 2029, a time when machines dominate the world and a few human survivors are organized in a rebellion led by John Connor. to eradicate this leader and guarantee the end of the rebellion, a cybernetic android known as the Terminator goes back in time to 1984 to kill John’s mother in order to prevent his birth, although this might not be that easy: a fighter from the resistance also travels back in time with the sole purpose of protecting the woman and revealing the devastating events that are taking place in the future.
At the time of its release, no one expectedThe Terminatorto be such a hit, but as of today, it is simply impossible to imagine any other outcome. The film not only cementedJames Cameron’s careeras director, but also established Arnold Schwarzenegger among the most popular stars in the industry, giving him the most iconic role of his career.
The Terminatorbecame a box-office hit with rave reviews, and kicked offa hugely popular franchisethat, to date, comprises six films, a TV series, and two web series, among other productions. After taking part in this 1984 film, the actors in the cast remained in the industry working on major film and TV projects, and some even reprised their roles in other installments within the franchise. This is what the cast ofThe Terminatoris doing today.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
By the timeArnold Schwarzeneggerlanded the lead role in this James Cameron film, he had already taken part in a number of projects, rising to fame for his part in the 1982 filmConan the Barbarian. However, it was the role of the Terminator that launched the actor’s career to stardom and showered his future with opportunities. Over the years, the actor, who prior to working in the industry was a well-known professional bodybuilder, remained busy taking part in different projects in both film and television. In addition to acting, he lent his voice to animated characters and even served as producer.
In recent times, he appeared in a few documentaries, such asWonders of the SeaandThe Game Changers, although he was also featured in action films such asKilling GuntherandTerminator: Dark Fate, a 2019 production that served as the latest installment of the popular franchise.
2023 proved to be a pretty significant year in the actor’s career, as it landed him his first two major roles on TV headlining two utterly different projects: theNetflix action showFUBARand the animated children’s TV seriesSuperhero Kindergarten, in which he plays Captain Fantastic. Furthermore, he is expected to appear inKung Fury 2, a film by David Sandberg that serves as a sequel to the 2015 production, due this November.
Related:Arnold Schwarzenegger Says James Cameron Rejected His ‘Very Sick’ Ideas for Terminator 2
Linda Hamilton
Just as it happened with Schwarzenegger,The Terminatoralso became the most popular production inLinda Hamilton’s career, and her role as Sarah Connor earned her the love of the fans, the recognition of the critics, and a tremendous amount of offers through which she made a brilliant path in the industry. Her most popular project in recent years is, hands down,Terminator: Dark Fate, a film that not only marked her comeback to the franchise, but also reunited her with Schwarzenegger on the silver screen over 30 years after the two co-starred inThe Terminator’s first sequel.
Moreover, Hamilton appeared alongside Bryan Batt and Dwight Henry inEasy Does It, a 2019 film that marked Will Addison’s directorial debut, and in the TV showsResident AlienandClaws. Last June, the actress made headlines after it was confirmed that she would be joining the cast of Netflix’sStranger Thingsfor the show’s fifth and final season, a production that she is very fond of (viaNetflix).
Michael Biehn
Michael Biehnplays Kyle Reese, the man sent from the future to 1984 to protect Sarah and ensure the birth of the future leader of the resistance against Skynet. This was the first collaboration between the actor and Cameron, who re-teamed in the 1986 and 1989 filmsAliensandThe Abyss. After appearing in these productions, Biehn kept working as an actor, but also served in other roles, making his directorial and screenwriting debut in the 2020 action filmThe Blood Bond, which was sadly met with very poor reviews.
In recent years, Biehn has been mostly active in television, taking part in the eleventh season ofThe Walking Deadand the second season of Jon Favreau’sThe Mandalorian. The latest film of his career so far is the 2020 thrillerKiller Weekend, in which he co-starred alongside Vanessa Zima, Andy Davoli, and his wife, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn.
Paul Winfield
Long before playing police lieutenant Ed Traxler inThe Terminator,Paul Winfieldwas already well known in the industry for his roles in films such asStar Trek II: The Wrath of KhanandSounder, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. After starring in Cameron’s movie, Winfield went on to work in film, television and even on stage, taking part in productions such asMars Attacks!and voicing animated characters in shows such asThe Magic School BusandThe Simpsons.
His final roles in the industry came in 2002, in Brad Marlowe’s thriller filmSecond to Dieand the NBC showCrossing Jordan. Two years later, Winfield suffered a heart attackand passed awayat the age of 64.
Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksenworked with Cameron on the 1981 filmPiranha II: The Spawning, which led the director to consider him for the lead role inThe Terminator. However, Schwarzenegger eventually secured the title role in this film, leaving Henriksen to play the part of Detective Vukovich. Over the years, the actor has worked extensively in productions of all kinds, including films, TV shows, and even video games. Among the massive amount of films that comprise his portfolio are a few installments of theAlienfranchise,Scream 3,andTarzan, in which he voiced Kerchak.
He has also starred in TV shows such asMillennium,The X-Files,andTron: Uprising, among many others. In recent years, Henriksen has been as active in the industry as ever, and in 2020 he was spotted co-starring with Viggo Mortensen in the drama filmFalling, which also marked Mortensen’s directorial debut. Earlier this year, he made a cameo in the eighth episode of the Paramount+ showRabbit Hole, plus he is expected to star in Justin Paul’s upcoming horror filmAwaken the Reaper.
Bess Motta
InThe Terminator,Bess Mottaplays Ginger, Sarah Connor’s roommate and best friend who is eventually killed by the T-800. To this day, this James Cameron film still stands as the most popular movie in this actress and choreographer’s career, who first rose to fame back in the 1980s as one of the aerobics instructors on the Canadian TV show20 Minute Workout.
After appearing inThe Terminator, Motta’s roles in the industry diminished: she was only spotted in the 1987 filmYou Talkin' to Me?and the TV showNew Monkeys. These days, Motta is still devoted to fitness and shares her day-to-day life with her social media followers.
Related:8 Reasons the Terminator Series Doesn’t Make Sense
Rick Rossovich
Rick Rossovichplays Matt, Ginger’s boyfriend and another victim of the T-800. In the 1980s and 1990s, the actor was featured in a number of films and TV series, such asTop GunandER, two productions that made him very well known. However, over the years he gradually took on fewer roles, and eventually decided to distance himself from the entertainment industry and devote more time to his wife and children. The latest film in Rossovich’s career so far is the 2016 dramaA Beautiful Day.
Earl Boenrounded out the main cast ofThe Terminatoras criminal psychologist Dr. Silberman, a role that became the best known of his career and one that he later reprised in the franchise’s first two sequels. Over the years, Boen scored supporting roles in some of TV’s most popular shows, such asSeinfeld,The Golden Girls,andALF, and appeared in many films across all genres. His most notable work other than the role of Silberman was as voice actor in several animated productions, such asClifford the Big Red Dog,Kim Possible,andDexter’s Laboratory, as well as a few video games.
Boen retired from acting after starring in 2003’sTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but kept on working as a voice actor until 2017. Last year, he was diagnosed withlung cancer and passed awayat the beginning of 2023.
Bill Paxton
Bill Paxtonwas a widely renowned star in the industry who served as both actor and filmmaker in a number of productions. His brief supporting role inThe Terminatormarked his first time working with Cameron, a director with whom he would later collaborate again inAliens,True Lies,andTitanic. Other notable films in Paxton’s career worthy of mention includeApollo 13,Twister,andA Simple Plan, among many others.
In 2001, Bill launched himself as director withthe psychological thrillerFrailty, a production starring Matthew McConaughey that earned rave reviews. He also made his way into television, and his role in the 2006 HBO seriesBig Loveearned him a slew of accolades and even greater opportunities.
In February 2017, Paxton passed away due to complications following an open-heart surgery at the age of 61. The final roles of his career came in the TV seriesTraining Day, which was canceled shortly thereafter, and in James Ponsoldt’s filmThe Circle, released two months after his passing.
Brian Thompson
Rounding out this list isBrian Thompson, who also had a minor role in this 1984 film. This was Thompson’s acting debut, after which he moved on with his career appearing in films and TV series of all kinds, such asCobra,Three Amigos,andStar Trek Generations, a franchise in which he took part in several productions.
In 2014, the actor made his directorial debut with the filmThe Extendables, a parody of Sylvester Stallone’s wildly popular franchiseThe Expendables. In recent years, Thompson has not been very active in the industry, and in fact, his most recent roles date back to 2021, when he was spotted as a cast member in Joel Coen’sThe Tragedy of Macbethand made a cameo in the TV seriesNCIS: Los Angeles.
