‘The Terminator’ Cast: Go Back in Time to See Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and more!
We look back at this mega-hit film from 1984 that launched Schwarzenegger’s career.
James Cameron’s The Terminator, released in 1984, was a groundbreaking thriller that not only launched the careers of its talented cast but also introduced audiences to a dystopian future where man and machine collide in a battle for survival. Set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, The Terminator follows the story of Sarah Connor, a young woman who finds herself targeted for termination by a relentless cyborg assassin known as the Terminator.
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Sent back in time from the year 2029, the Terminator’s mission is to eliminate Sarah before she can give birth to John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance against sentient machines. With the help of a soldier sent from the future named Kyle Reese, Sarah must evade the Terminator’s relentless pursuit and alter the course of history.
At the helm of The Terminator was visionary director James Cameron, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Gale Anne Hurd. Cameron’s singular vision and innovative storytelling techniques helped propel the film to critical and commercial success, establishing him as a major force in Hollywood.
Upon its release, The Terminator garnered widespread acclaim for its groundbreaking visual effects, pulse-pounding action sequences, and thought-provoking themes. Audiences were captivated by its thrilling storyline, which seamlessly blended elements of science fiction, horror, and suspense. The film’s success at the box office solidified its status as a cultural phenomenon, spawning a multi-media franchise that continues to thrive to this day.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator
Born July 30, 1947, in Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger played the starring role of The Terminator a cybernetic assassin sent from the future to eliminate Sarah Connor.
Schwarzenegger had already gained fame as a bodybuilder prior to this movie. He won Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition seven times from 1970 to 1980. Then he hit gold when he was cast in the starring role in The Terminator.
From there, his career exploded and he went on to star in Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) and True Lies (1994). From 2003 to 2011, Schwarzenegger served as governor of California.
The father of five was married to ex-wife and broadcast journalist Maria Shriver for 25 years before splitting in 2011.
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Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor: The Terminator cast
Born on September 26, 1956, in Salisbury, Maryland, Linda Hamilton played the starring female lead Sarah Connor, a young waitress who becomes the target of the Terminator’s assassination mission.
Hamilton hit fame in the early 1980s with the TV series Secrets of Midland Heights and King’s Crossing. Then she became everyone’s favorite bad-ass female lead, when she showed her tough side in The Terminator franchise.
Hamilton also starred as Catherine Chandler on Beauty and the Beast, earning two Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy for her performance on the show. Her other notable TV shows include The Line, Chuck, Defiance, Claws and Resident Alien.
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Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese The Terminator cast
Born on July 31, 1956, in Anniston, Alabama, Michael Biehn played the role of Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor.
Audiences will remember him in his role as a psychotic fan stalking Lauren Bacall in The Fan (1981) and later in the movie The Lords of Discipline (1983). He hit the big-time when he was cast as Kyle Reese, the man sent back through time to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator.
He continued to starred in James Cameron’s subsequent films, playing Corporal Hicks in Aliens (1986) and an unstable Navy SEAL officer Lt. Hiram Coffey in The Abyss (1989). He then starred in films like Navy Seals (1990), K2 (1991) Tombstone (1993) and The Rock (1996).
He was a regular on TV shows including The Magnificent Seven and 24 Hour Rental. Most recently Biehn has been seen in episodes of Law and Order, Waking Dead and The Mandalorian.
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Paul Winfield as Lieutenant Ed Traxler The Terminator cast
Born on May 22, 1939, in Los Angeles, California, Paul Winfield played the role of Lieutenant Ed Traxler, a police officer investigating the Terminator’s killing spree.
Winfield appeared in several films including The Lost Man (1969), R.P.M. (1970) and Brother John (1971). In 1972 he was the male lead opposite Cicely Tyson in the classic film Sounder (1972), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
He teamed up again with Cicely Tyson and was nominated for an Emmy in King (1978). Next up came Backstairs at the White House (1979), Roots:The Next Generations (1979), in which he received another Emmy nomination and The Sophisticated Gents (1981).
After starring in The Terminator, Winfield continued to land roles in big movies like James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985), Under Siege (1986) and The Women of Brewster Place (1989).
He also appeared on TV in Breathing Lessons, Picket Fences, which earned him another Emmy nod, and the reoccurring role as Sam on Touched by an Angel (1994).
Winfield passed away in 2004. He was 63.
Earl Boen as Dr. Peter Silberman
Born on November 7, 1941, in New York City, Earl Boen played the role of Dr. Peter Silberman, a psychiatrist in The Terminator franchise.
Prior to Terminator, Boen appeared in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and The Man with Two Brains (1983) before landing the role he’s best known for, that of Dr. Silberman in The Terminator.
He had a successful career appearing in Alien Nation (1988), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000).
In addition to his film and TV work, Boen was known for voicing such characters as Mr. Bleakman in Clifford the Big Red Dog, Señor Senior Sr. in Kim Possible, the narrator in World of Warcraft and Captain LeChuck in the Monkey Island video game series.
He died in 2023. He was 81.
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Bess Motta as Ginger Ventura
Born on February 10, 1958, in Woodland Hills, California, Bess Motta portrayed Ginger Ventura Sarah Connor’s roommate and friend.
Prior to The Terminator Motta appeared in the Canadian television series 20 Minute Workout, which aired for two seasons in 1983 and 1984, but was in syndication internationally for a decade. She was considered one of the aerobic queens of the 1980s.
After her role as Ginger Ventura in The Terminator, where she was said to have performed her own stunts in the film, she went on to play a friendly and bubbly waitress in the TV show New Monkees. She also appeared in the first few seasons of The Home Show. Most recently, she’s been involved in voice-over work.
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