Do I look like the mother of the future? I mean, am I tough, organized? I cant even balance my checkbook!
LINDA HAMILTON
AS
SARAH CONNOR
As Sarah Connor, Linda Hamilton was able to go through a transformation between the two films that could almost rival Schwarzeneggers, from the fragile woman in peril in the first film to the bad ass soldier of T2. Before she took on her iconic role in THE TERMINATOR, Hamiltons career had begun in TV before her first major film role in Steven Kings CHILDREN OF THE CORN, which was followed later that year by her first performance as Sarah Connor. After the success of THE TERMINATOR, Hamiltons career didnt really take off as one wouldve expected, her first big role in the years after was in BLACK MOON RISING an action film starring Tommy Lee Jones and the dude who played Hightower in POLICE ACADEMY. Hamilton was then seen in the much maligned KING KONG LIVES, the biggest flop since yours truly after a night on the Jagermeister.
Hamilton soon returned to TV, starring in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, an updated retelling of the classic fairytale in which she played the titular beauty alongside future HELLBOY Ron Perlman as the beast, the show was very popular but following the killing off of Hamiltons character in season three, ratings declined and the show was ultimately cancelled. In 1990, Linda Hamilton returned to the big screen in the comedy MR. DESTINY alongside Michael Caine. In 1991, Hamilton returned to the role that made her famous; Sarah Connor in TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY, arguably giving the performance of her career.
Despite giving a great performance in one of the most successful films of all time, Linda Hamilton never really emulated the success of T2, possibly due to not being able to shake the eternal association with Sarah Connor. Following T2 she made a couple of low budget projects before returning to the big screen in the relatively successful volcano thriller DANTES PEAK with Pierce Brosnan.
Then followed the horrendous SHADOW CONSPIRACY with Charlie Sheen, while Sheen can probably blame his involvement in this project on drugs and/or alcohol, Hamilton, quite frankly, should have known better, and dont even get me started on what Donald Sutherland was thinking! Around this time, Linda Hamilton began her second marriage, to none other than her former TERMINATOR director James Cameron (Hamilton was Camerons fourth wife!) The couples marriage lasted two years, they divorced in 1999 after Hamilton allegedly discovered Cameron had been having an affair with actress Suzy Amis during the filming of TITANIC. Suzy Amis would go on to become Mrs. Cameron number 5, as Cameron continues to attempt to satisfy his Henry VIII complex. The divorce settlement reportedly netted Hamilton $80 million, but her attempts to land the rights to the TERMINATOR franchise in the settlement proved unsuccessful.
Since SHADOW CONSPIRACY in 1997, Linda Hamiltons work has largely been limited to TV movies and generic straight to video fare. In 2005 during an episode of LARRY KING LIVE, Linda Hamilton revealed that she suffers from bipolar disorder, something that has affected her for many years. Tomorrow: MICHAL BIEHN Yesterday: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
