Robert Patrick Reveals He Caught John Connor on the Set of ‘Terminator 2’

Robert Patrick has been sharing fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ for years, but a recent clip from an Empire Magazine interview has gone viral, and it’s easy to see why. In this clip, Patrick casually reveals that during the first take of the iconic shopping mall chase scene, he ran so fast as the T-1000 that he actually caught Edward Furlong’s John Connor before the scene could unfold, leaving him with an unexpected dilemma and director James Cameron in disbelief.

As Patrick recounted in the Empire interview, during the initial filming of the mall run, prior to the semi-truck sequence, he completely closed the gap on Furlong. His own words, featured in the viral clip: “That’s me. First time I did the run, I caught the kid.

This anecdote perfectly illustrates why the T-1000 became one of cinema’s most unsettling villains. Patrick’s performance remains effective today, not only due to the liquid metal effects but also because of the physicality he brought to the role.

Patrick underwent rigorous training for the part, mastering a Beretta 92FS at Cameron’s insistence. Cameron required him to reload the weapon at full speed without looking or blinking, a detail Patrick added as a personal touch that he has proudly mentioned ever since.

The story of how Patrick landed the role adds another intriguing layer to the film’s history. Originally, Billy Idol was slated to play the T-1000, but a motorcycle accident that injured Idol’s leg made the physically demanding role unfeasible for him.

With the opportunity available, Patrick’s agent pitched him to casting director Mali Finn as a blend of David Bowie and James Dean. Cameron ultimately cast him based on his physical appearance and an intensity that seemed fitting for a machine designed to hunt without emotion.

Released in 1991, the film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and became one of the defining blockbusters of its time, grossing over $520 million worldwide against a $94 million budget. Empire ranked the T-1000 as number 19 in its list of the best cinematic villains, noting that Patrick’s “liquid, shark-like” screen presence left an “unforgettably nightmarish” impression.

The circulating clip is part of Empire’s ongoing retrospective coverage of the film, which has seen a resurgence of cultural interest this year. For those who grew up watching Patrick relentlessly pursue his targets, discovering that he was capable of running fast enough to disrupt the scene entirely is a perfectly on-brand revelation for the ‘Terminator 2’ mythology.

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