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Billy Idol Almost Played the T-1000 in 'Terminator 2,' Robert Patrick Says

D

Dalek

Member
Billy Idol Almost Played the T-1000 in 'Terminator 2,' Robert Patrick Says

t2_patrick.jpg


Robert Patrick has such an intense, intimidating stare that it basically landed him the iconic role of the T-1000 in Terminator 2.

The then-30-year-old actor trained multiple times a day so that onscreen, in addition to his acting, he could sprint without breathing hard afterward and fire a handgun so quickly, it was practically fully-automatic.

With Terminator 2: Judgment Day returning to theaters with a 3D rerelease next week, the accomplished film and TV actor granted an interview to Heat Vision to discuss how he landed the role in the classic 1991 sci-fi/action movie, the scene he enjoyed filming the least, and the training that goes into making a man into a machine.

Patrick starts off by dropping a bomb.

"Billy Idol was set to do the role of the T-1000, as I understand," Patrick told Heat Vision. "I can tell you that I saw Billy's image when I went to Stan Winston after I got the role. Unfortunately, he got into a motorcycle accident and busted up his leg, so he wasn't able to physically do what the role demanded."

After Idol was out, word got around that director James Cameron was looking for a villain for his follow-up to the popular 1984 film The Terminator.

"My agent sold me to the T2 casting director (Mali Finn) as a cross between David Bowie and James Dean," Patrick said, laughing, "So, I was trying to create an intense presence while I was sitting with Mali. I had this intense stare, which she liked."

After working with the casting crew on some movements, which Patrick described as "insect-like," he got a call from Cameron to come in and do a screen test. The rest is history.

"It was just one of those moments when everything came together at the right time," Patrick said.
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Once cast as the liquid-metal killing machine, it was made clear by Cameron that Patrick had to be in top-notch shape for the role, not gigantic like protagonist Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger, but lean, fit and fast.

"I trained four times a day and physically got myself into it," Patrick said.

The T-1000 ran a lot in the film. Not just ran, but went at full force and then would stop, showing no signs of exertion. That wasn't easy to achieve, Patrick said.

"I did it like a sprinter would: I locked eyes on a target and focused so there was no wasted energy," he said. "When done, I would clench my jaw, no mouth breathing, only through the nose and no expression because the character would not be straining."

Patrick was so fast, he ruined one take when the T-1000 easily caught John Conner, played by Edward Furlong.

"The first big chase sequence we did at the mall before I take the semi, I caught John!" Patrick said. "And I was like, 'What the fuck do I do know?' And Jim was like, 'Jesus Christ! How fast can you run?!' And I said I didn't know. So they had to crank up the speed of John's dirt bike."
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48a3fc27e6738923ff8cf3c6e64b217f.jpg
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L

liquidtmd

Banned
Patrick was so fast, he ruined one take when the T-1000 easily caught John Conner, played by Edward Furlong.
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Should make a cut available where they play that take and end the movie there lol
 
S

Sectorseven

Member
This sounds like speculation on his part.

Isn't it possible they were just using Billy Idol's photo as a place holder model or maybe inspiration on what Cameron was going for?
 
H

HyperZone<3

Member
Isn't possible that Arnie's shorts were just normal early 90's fashion? Hell, those look like Zubaz, which first caught on with bodybuilders/gym rats to begin with.
 
F

Fisty

Member
HyperZone<3 said:
Isn't possible that Arnie's shorts were just normal early 90's fashion? Hell, those look like Zubaz, which first caught on with bodybuilders/gym rats to begin with.
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Yup put some roller blades and a fannypack on him and he would probably have been walking right off of Venice Beach in '90
 
H

Hyun Sai

Member
The T-1000 ran a lot in the film. Not just ran, but went at full force and then would stop, showing no signs of exertion. That wasn't easy to achieve, Patrick said.

"I did it like a sprinter would: I locked eyes on a target and focused so there was no wasted energy," he said. "When done, I would clench my jaw, no mouth breathing, only through the nose and no expression because the character would not be straining."
Click to expand...

Really nice. I thought they used cuts so he could rest a little.
 
F

Fury451

Banned
That would've been a less good movie. Patrick was so damn cold and intimidating in the movie despite being but a mere wisp compared to Arnold's "tree that walks like a man" body.

"The first big chase sequence we did at the mall before I take the semi, I caught John!" Patrick said. "And I was like, 'What the fuck do I do know?' And Jim was like, 'Jesus Christ! How fast can you run?!' And I said I didn't know. So they had to crank up the speed of John's dirt bike."
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lmao
 
M

majik13

Member
Billy Idol would have likely been fine for the role, if he was a no name actor. But since he was already well known, I think it would have obviously been weird and taken away from the film. I think the role going to, I assume a mostly unknown actor at the time, was the right choice.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
They should have just had Robert Patrick chase down all the aliens and shit in the X-Files
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
He had the look for it. I imagine they just used his likeness in all the concept art tho and Patrick was mistaken maybe.

Billy Idol is prolly a reference character for like most jrpg and cyberpunk games too haha
 
D

DonShula

Member
I've read this before - possibly on Billy Idol's Wikipedia page. And that's weird because I don't know why I would have been reading it in the first place.

Edit: ya

Idol was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, which nearly cost him a leg, on 6 February 1990 in Hollywood.[15] He was hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while riding home from the studio one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg.[16] Shortly prior to this, film director Oliver Stone had chosen Idol for a role in his film The Doors, but the accident prevented him from participating in a major way and Idol's role was reduced to a small part. He had also been James Cameron's first choice for the role of the villainous T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day; the role was recast entirely as a result of the accident.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Idol
 
M

Masterspeed

Member
I really wish there was a way I could watch movies and TV shows from an alternate reality that's just a completely different cast.
 
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