Robert Patrick is looking back at the intense pressure he felt while making Terminator 2: Judgment Day, revealing that his determination to deliver the perfect T-1000 performance led him to retreat into his own world on set. As the movie celebrates its 35th anniversary, Patrick says he felt a responsibility not to let the people around him down, approaching the physically demanding role almost like an athlete preparing for the biggest performance of his career.
Robert Patrick Turned Into the T-1000 — Almost Literally
Patrick explained that playing the shape-shifting villain required much more than simply looking intimidating. He developed a detailed physical checklist covering the character’s posture, walking style, running technique and even the way he looked at people. With James Cameron directing an ambitious production that relied on groundbreaking visual effects, Patrick understood that his performance had to work as one piece of a much larger filmmaking machine.
That responsibility created pressure that Patrick compared to being part of a sports team. He wanted to do his job exceptionally well because he knew other members of the production were depending on him. The actor, who was still relatively early in his career, has now admitted that he was also frightened by the scale of the opportunity and worried that he could somehow lose the role or fail to meet Cameron’s expectations.
The T-1000 Had an Industrial-Music Isolation Strategy
Robert Patrick says he responded to the pressure by isolating himself and listening to industrial music from artists including Ministry, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails. Rather than spending every spare moment socializing with his fellow cast members, he stayed focused on maintaining the mindset and physicality of the T-1000. In other words, while everyone else had a movie set, Patrick apparently had his own little robotic headquarters.
Despite keeping to himself, Patrick remembers his major co-stars warmly. He described Arnold Schwarzenegger as charismatic, warm and generous, while praising Linda Hamilton’s intense commitment to Sarah Connor. He was also impressed by Edward Furlong’s composure as a young actor working on such a massive production. Patrick’s eventual performance became one of the most memorable elements of the 1991 film, which won four Academy Awards and is now returning to U.S. cinemas for its 35th anniversary.
Robert Patrick’s story offers a fascinating look behind one of Hollywood’s most recognizable villains: the frighteningly calm T-1000 was partly created through an actor’s intense discipline, pressure and willingness to temporarily disappear into the character. As Terminator 2 returns to theaters, fans can watch the film with a new appreciation for just how much preparation was hiding behind that emotionless stare—and readers should stay tuned for more revelations from Patrick about the making of the science-fiction classic.
[…] […]