ACTOR · BORN 1977
Edward Furlong
- Born
- 2 August 1977, Glendale, California, USA
- Known for
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Star Trek (2009), Detroit Rock City (1999), Brainscan (1994)
104 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Edward Furlong (born 2 August 1977) is an actor best known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Star Trek and Detroit Rock City.
Edward Furlong over the years
104 Interesting Facts About Edward Furlong
Interesting Facts (12)
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Says on the commentary for The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) that Apocalypse Now (1979) is his favorite movie of all time.
Edward Furlong: in the streetImage: Wikimedia Commons · Miguel Discart, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #003
After his iconic performance in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Edward Furlong was expected to reprise the role of John Connor in the franchise's third film, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. However, news in December 2001 announced that the actor had been dropped from the project, disappointing his fans. Nick Stahl, who replaced Furlong, offered a different interpretation of the character in the sequel.
- #004
On July 1, 2013, following an arrest in May, Edward Furlong agreed by court order to undergo 90 days of drug addiction treatment and 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling. If he fulfilled these conditions, he would avoid a prison sentence. Furlong had previously spent 61 days in jail.
Edward Furlong: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept., Public domain - #005
On the set of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Edward Furlong began a relationship with his teacher Jacqueline Louise Domac, who was 13 years his senior. Domac became the actor's manager, and they lived together until 1998. After their relationship ended, Domac applied to court in 1999 seeking 15% of Furlong's earnings over the previous three years and made claims of physical abuse and breach of contract.
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Edward Furlong reprised the character of John Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day in T2-3D, a short film made for a theme park. The project was shot with a new 3D technology and gave audiences the feeling that the film was practically leaping off the screen. The experience strengthened Furlong's connection to the Terminator universe.
- #010
- #011
In 1999, it was announced that Edward Furlong would play the character Simon of Clarendon in The Knights of the Quest, a film set in the 11th century. Filming was planned for Scotland, Italy, France and Tunisia. However, the film was barely released, and this project of Furlong's was largely forgotten.
- #012
The character John Connor, played by Edward Furlong in Terminator 2, was played by Thomas Dekker in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Dekker had previously appeared in Star Trek: Generations. Furlong, meanwhile, appeared in Star Trek: Renegades, in which Walter Koenig also played the role of Pavel Chekov. Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the 2009 film Star Trek, played Kyle Reese, John Connor's father, in Terminator Salvation. These connections form an interesting bridge between the two science fiction series.
Production Story (4)
Behind the Scenes (33)
- #017
During the shooting of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), his voice changed and he had to loop all of his lines in quite a few scenes. He also grew quite a bit. At the beginning of shooting, he was a few inches smaller than his double and, at the end, he was a little bit taller than him. He even had to stand in a hole during the shooting of some scenes.
- #018
During the filming of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Edward Furlong's adolescence created unexpected difficulties for the production team. Because of his changing voice, he had to re-record the dialogue for many scenes in the studio. In addition, Furlong grew rapidly during the shoot: initially shorter than his stunt double, he became taller than him toward the end of the film, so in some scenes he had to stand in a pit to conceal the height difference.
- #019
- #020
After his iconic performance in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Edward Furlong was expected to reprise the role of John Connor in the franchise's third film, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. But news that arrived in December 2001 announced that the actor had been dropped from the project, disappointing his fans. Nick Stahl, who replaced Furlong, offered a different interpretation of the character in the sequel.
- #021
- #022
On October 5, 2012, Edward Furlong asked his fans for financial help during a period when he was battling health problems. Saying he could not cover the costs required for a liver transplant, the actor made a donation appeal on social media. The statement laid bare the difficulties Furlong was facing and rallied his fans' support.
- #023
During the shooting of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Edward Furlong's adolescence created unexpected difficulties for the production team. Because of the change in his voice, he had to re-record the dialogue for many scenes in the studio. Furlong also grew rapidly during the shoot: at first he was shorter than his stunt double, but toward the end of the film he had become taller than him, so in some scenes he had to stand in a pit to make up for the height difference.
- #024
Only a few hours after attending the premiere of The Green Hornet, Edward Furlong was arrested for failing to pay child support. Testifying in court, the actor said he was "completely broke" and could not make the payment. The incident laid bare just how much Furlong's financial situation had deteriorated.
- #025
In February 2015, Edward Furlong admitted that he could not obtain the insurance required to work on film projects. The situation reflected the health and legal problems that were damaging the actor's career. Deemed risky by insurance companies, Furlong shared his difficulties in the industry with the public through this statement.
- #026
- #027
In interviews throughout his career, Edward Furlong said that of all his work he loved his performance in Little Odessa the most. The character he played in the 1994 drama is regarded as an important piece of work that showcased the actor's talent. Furlong's preference points to the work he values artistically.
- #028
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- #030
On the set of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Edward Furlong began a relationship with his teacher Jacqueline Louise Domac, who was 13 years older than him. Domac became the actor's manager, and they lived together until 1998. After their relationship ended, Domac applied to court in 1999, seeking 15% of Furlong's earnings over the previous three years and alleging physical abuse and breach of contract.
- #031
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- #036
Edward Furlong reprised the character of John Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day in the short film T2-3D, made for a theme park. The project was shot with a new 3D technology and gave audiences the feeling that the film was practically leaping off the screen. Furlong's experience strengthened his connection to the Terminator universe.
- #037
- #038
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- #040
- #041
Edward Furlong did not actually appear in Terminator: Dark Fate; the character of John Connor was created using CGI technology with another person's voice. This disappointed fans, who had expected to see Furlong on screen. Furlong's absence also became a subject of discussion in the film's promotion.
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As of December 2023, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which Edward Furlong appeared, was selected by the US Library of Congress for the National Film Registry. The selection certified that the film is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Furlong's performance in the film left a lasting mark on cinema history.
- #046
- #047
In 1999, it was announced that Edward Furlong would play the character Simon of Clarendon in The Knights of the Quest, a film set in the 11th century. Filming was planned for Scotland, Italy, France and Tunisia. However, the film was hardly ever released and Furlong's project was largely forgotten.
- #048
The character of John Connor, played by Edward Furlong in Terminator 2, was played by Thomas Dekker in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Dekker had previously appeared in Star Trek: Generations. Furlong, meanwhile, appeared in Star Trek: Renegades; Walter Koenig was also in that production in the role of Pavel Chekov. Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the film Star Trek (2009), played Kyle Reese, John Connor's father, in Terminator Salvation. These connections form an interesting bridge between the two science fiction series.
- #049
Characters & Cast (2)
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #052
His Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) character, John Connor, was played on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronciles by Thomas Dekker, who previously appeared in Star Trek: Generations (1994). Edward later appeared in 'Star Trek: Renegades (2014)(TV)'. Both films also featured Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov. In Star Trek (2009), Chekov was played by Anton Yelchin, who played John Connor's father Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation (2009) and is, like Edward, of Russian ancestry.
Career & Awards (15)
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In 1992, Edward Furlong launched a music career in Japan and quickly built a large fan base. His first single, "Hold on Tight," rose to number one on the Japanese music charts, surpassing Whitney Houston's legendary track "I Will Always Love You." This success helped Furlong maintain his popularity in Japan even today, making him one of the country's most beloved foreign stars.
- #061
In February 2015, Edward Furlong admitted that he could not obtain the insurance required to work on film projects. The situation reflected the health and legal problems that were damaging the actor's career. Deemed a risk by insurance companies, Furlong shared his difficulties in the industry with the public through this statement.
- #062
- #063
On September 25, 2001, Edward Furlong was taken into custody by police in West Hollywood in two separate incidents. First caught driving without a license, the actor was arrested again just four hours after his release, this time for driving under the influence and causing a traffic accident. These incidents marked a turning point in Furlong's legal troubles.
- #064
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As of December 2023, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which Edward Furlong appeared, was selected by the US Library of Congress for the National Film Registry. The selection certified the film as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Furlong's performance in the film left a lasting mark on cinema history.
Life & Family (37)
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He hooked up with his tutor Jacqueline Louise Domac on the set of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). He was 13 and she was 26. She became his manager and they lived together until 1998. She went to court in 1999 to request 15% of Furlong's earnings for the past three years, charging physical abuse and breach of contract.
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On October 5, 2012, Edward Furlong asked his fans for financial help while struggling with health problems. Stating that he could not cover the costs required for a liver transplant, the actor made a donation appeal via social media. The statement laid bare the difficulties Furlong was facing and drew support from his fans.
- #089
On January 13, 2013, Edward Furlong was taken into custody in Los Angeles on suspicion of domestic violence; it was the third such allegation against him since 2012. The actor remained in custody at the Men's Central Jail from January 14 to February 2 and was released on $31,000 bail. The incident showed that Furlong's legal troubles were continuing.
- #090
Only a few hours after attending the premiere of The Green Hornet, Edward Furlong was arrested for failing to pay child support. Testifying in court, the actor said he was "completely penniless" and could not make the payment. The incident laid bare how badly Furlong's financial situation had deteriorated.
- #091
On August 17, 2010, Edward Furlong's wife, Rachael Bella, from whom he was living apart, obtained a temporary restraining order against the actor from a court. The ruling revealed the extent of the disagreements between the couple. Such incidents in Furlong's private life resonated widely in the press.
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- #098
Edward Furlong did not actually appear in Terminator: Dark Fate; the character of John Connor was created using CGI technology with someone else providing the voice. This disappointed fans who had expected to see Furlong on screen. Furlong's absence also became a topic of discussion in the film's promotion.
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- #102
Edward Furlong's mother, Eleanor Torres, was born around September 1958 and worked as a youth center employee in Pasadena. His biological father, Heinrich "Henry" Brüno Wittig, was born on June 6, 1929, and died in 1980. His stepfather, Moises Torres, separated from his mother in 1989. Furlong's aunt is Nancy Tafoya, his uncle is Sean Furlong, and his younger half-brother is Robert Torres. This family structure is important for understanding the actor's origins.
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