On the set of The Terminator, Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton forged a dynamic that mirrored their characters’ tense, desperate alliance. Hamilton played Sarah Connor, a young Los Angeles waitress who is initially unaware that she is the key to the future of humanity. Biehn played Kyle Reese, a resistance soldier from the post-apocalyptic future (2029 A.D.) who is sent back in time to protect Sarah from the Terminator.
Their on-screen connection is crucial, as the entire future of humanity depends on their brief, intense romance. They share a chemistry that is desperate, tender, and born out of shared trauma and the need to survive. This romance ultimately results in the conception of John Connor, the future leader of the resistance, fulfilling the predestination paradox at the core of the film.
Biehn almost didn’t get the part. When he first auditioned for director James Cameron, he gave his reading with a Southern accent because he had been preparing for an audition for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that morning. Cameron and the producers initially didn’t want the character of Kyle Reese to be geographically specific. Biehn’s agent quickly explained the mistake, and a second, accent-free reading secured him the role.
Hamilton has mentioned that she initially had doubts about the project, finding the script and the concept a bit “schlocky” and not matching her “thespian ambitions” at the time. However, Cameron specifically wanted her because he felt she had the ability to convey vulnerability while also possessing an underlying strength that would make her transformation into a resilient figure believable. Hamilton broke her ankle shortly before filming began. Rather than recasting her, the injury was managed with a special wrap/cast, allowing her to push through the physically demanding role, which perhaps even added to Sarah Connor’s look of being constantly stressed and on the run.
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