Edward Furlong looks completely different from the fresh-faced teenager who shot to global fame in Terminator 2: Judgment Day as he celebrates his 49th birthday.
The actor, who was born in Glendale, California, on August 2, 1977, became one of the most recognizable young stars of the 1990s after playing John Connor in James Cameron’s blockbuster sequel.
More than three decades later, Edward is approaching 50 and naturally looks worlds away from the rebellious 13-year-old who raced through Los Angeles on a dirt bike with a futuristic assassin in pursuit.
© Getty ImagesEdward had no professional acting experience when casting director Mali Finn discovered him at a Boys & Girls Club in Pasadena.
He was selected to play John Connor, the future leader of humanity’s resistance against the machines, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton in the 1991 science-fiction epic.
The performance transformed Edward into an overnight star and earned him the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
© FilmMagic, IncHe followed the film with roles in Pet Sematary Two, American Heart, A Home of Our Own, Little Odessa and Before and After.
Edward later starred alongside Edward Norton in the hard-hitting 1998 drama American History X and appeared in cult favorites including Pecker, Detroit Rock City and Animal Factory.
However, the pressures of finding fame at such a young age contributed to a difficult period in Edward’s personal life.
© FilmMagic, IncThe actor has spoken candidly about his years of drug and alcohol addiction, which affected his health and career.
During a revealing 2024 podcast interview on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Edward recalled hitting rock bottom and discussed how getting clean allowed him to rediscover the joy in his life and work.
Edward has gradually been rebuilding his screen career, appearing in Heart of a Champion, The Forest Hills and the horror movie Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep.
© Getty ImagesHe also returned to the Terminator franchise in 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate, although his younger likeness was digitally recreated for the brief appearance.
His birthday falls during another milestone year for the movie that made him famous. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is returning to cinemas around the world to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
