Few action sequels carry the same legacy as James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which brought Arnold Schwarzenegger back to the franchise alongside Robert Patrick, Linda Hamilton, and Joe Morton.
The film remains a standout of the genre, holding a 90 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it also introduced many viewers to Edward Furlong, who played young John Connor.
Now, on 2 August, the actor turns 49 — and he looks a world away from his early days in Hollywood.
For anyone unfamiliar with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, John Connor is the 10-year-old son of Sarah Connor, Hamilton’s character.
Although he is destined to become an enormously important figure in the future, the version of John seen in the film is a troubled kid living with foster parents while his mother is held in a prison hospital.
As the story unfolds, he develops a memorable bond with Schwarzenegger’s Terminator and even teaches him the now-famous line, ‘Hasta la vista, baby’.
Despite the impact of his performance, Furlong did not return for later entries in the series, including 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
He had initially been lined up to play Connor again, but the studio reportedly removed him from the project following a widely reported cocaine overdose and seizure.
Speaking on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Furlong explained that the incident breached the terms of his contract and cost him the role.
Even without a role in Terminator 3, the California-born actor kept working. According to IMDB, he currently has two upcoming projects, one of them being The Endless Whispers.
His latest screen credit is the 2024 film Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep, an H.P. Lovecraft-inspired horror film that marked his return to the genre.
Furlong has also spoken openly about his past struggles and his life as a child actor. In 2022, he told the Daily Mail that not having the right support around him may have played a part in his substance abuse issues.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have too many people looking out for me and I was left to run wild,” he explained.
“I didn’t know how to manage my money. If I was older, I wouldn’t have made so many bad decisions.”
He first went to rehab in 2000. Six years after that, he married actor Rachael Bella, though the couple divorced in 2009 over irreconcilable differences.
Metro later reported that court papers claimed their then six-year-old son tested positive for cocaine after a visit with Furlong.
Following an arrest for domestic battery and a 180-day prison sentence, he eventually became sober after treatment at a rehabilitation centre in California.
In 2024, he said: “‘It feels great to be back on set and sober too. I didn’t feel hungover when I went to work. There’s other sober people at work which is weird because if you’re not sober, you’re not hanging out with the other sober people. It was cool.”
In 2019, Furlong briefly returned to the Terminator franchise for Terminator: Dark Fate, appearing as an older John Connor in a de-aged CGI cameo alongside Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton. The appearance was significant for fans who grew up with him in the original film.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is heading back to cinemas in late August to mark its 35th anniversary. The theatrical re-release will be presented in 4K, RealD 3D, and premium formats using the acclaimed 2017 restoration and 3D conversion.
US audiences will be able to see it from 28 August, with the release timed to commemorate the film’s “Judgment Day” of August 29. Additional global premiere dates are scheduled for late August and early September, with UK audiences able to see it in cinemas on 4 September.