As far as sci-fi franchises go, there are few quite as beloved as Terminator. James Cameron created a violent and epic world with his first two movies, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the title character and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. The latter actress spent a number of years away from her iconic character, and the generations of fans are eager to see her reprise her role Terminator: Dark Fate. But it turns out she didn't enjoy getting back into Sarah-shape for the upcoming blockbuster.
Linda Hamilton was 27 years old when she filmed her role in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, debuting a new badass Sarah Connor who was no longer a victim or bystander. She went through an intense physical transformation for the sequel, as well as intense gun training. Hamilton had to do the same for Dark Fate, but admitted it was more difficult the second time around. As she put it:
I had a true village of experts trying to get the most out of this body. I don’t think there’s going to be one person who comes up to me who says, ‘You look so great for your age.’ I threw that into the Mississippi River, because that’s not what this is about. I want people to see me and go, ‘Oh my God, she got so old!'
It looks like Linda Hamilton isn't especially nervous about hiding the aging process. The 62 year-old actress wanted to be as strong as she could as Sarah Connor, and doesn't mind if people see how the decades have affected her.
Linda Hamilton's comments to The New York Times help to illuminate the thought process behind her return to the Terminator franchise, and perhaps her most iconic character ever. She hasn't been especially active in the film world over the past few years, largely taking a break from Hollywood. But once James Cameron, Tim Miller, and Sarah Connor came knocking, she decided to return to the business and bring her heroine back to life onscreen.
Related: Linda Hamilton Refused To Say Some 'Stupid' Lines Of Dialogue In Terminator: Dark Fate
The trailers for Terminator: Dark Fate show that the movie is truly about Sarah Connor, who has spent decades killing Terminators and become even more hardened by the world. In order to transform into the character, there was a team of people helping Linda Hamilton. She trained in ballistics with Green Berets, and was put on hormone supplements to help her gain muscle. She also committed to doing the character's stunts.
While Dark Fate is still a few months away from theaters, anticipation for the blockbuster has been steadily building, in no short part due to Linda Hamilton's return to the franchise. She'll be joined by T2 co-stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Edward Furlong, and the upcoming movie will be a direct sequel to Judgement Day.
All will be revealed when Terminator: Dark Fate hits theaters on November 1st, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
