Playing the T-1000 in 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a career-defining moment for Robert Patrick. For those who don’t know, the character is an android assassin sent back in time to kill young John Connor (Edward Furlong) because Connor is leading a war against the machine’s manufacturer in the future. Patrick would go on to reprise his role in video games, a theme park attraction, a DirecTV commercial, and films like Wayne’s World and Last Action Hero. And at the end of the day, he says he owes it all to Billy Idol, interestingly enough.
“Billy Idol was set to do the role of the T-1000,” Patrick told The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision in 2017. “I can tell you that I saw Billy’s image when I went to [special-effects artist] Stan Winston after I got the role,” he continued.
“Unfortunately, he got into a motorcycle accident and busted up his leg, so he wasn’t able to physically do what the role demanded.” Patrick’s agent then pitched him to the film’s casting director as a cross between David Bowie and James Dean.
The T-1000 in ‘Terminator 2’ Was Almost Played by Billy Idol
Idol has confirmed the story on a number of occasions, explaining that he’d developed a limp as a result of the accident, which ultimately cost him the part. Director James Cameron needed Idol to be able to run at one point, and that just wasn’t possible due to the injury.
While appearing on The Bonfire recently, Idol reflected on the screen test he did for Terminator 2 and how disappointed he was that he couldn’t appear in the movie. “I was gonna get to throw Arnold [Schwarzenegger] through a wall, damn it!” Idol joked.
Footage from Idol’s screen test has made its way out there, and Cameron sounds as though he’s very happy with Idol’s portrayal of the character. “Holy s—t,” Cameron can be heard saying off camera, while zooming in on Idol’s face in one shot. As Cameron gets a look at Idol sporting Patrick’s trademark sunglasses and helmet for the first time, he proudly says to himself, “T-1000 lives!” You can check out the footage for yourself above.
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