Terminator legend Linda Hamilton was considering retiring from acting before she joined Stranger Things season 5

Terminator icon Linda Hamilton almost retired from acting – but then she got an offer to star in Stranger Things season 5.

Hamilton is playing intimidating government official Dr. Kay in the new season, though not a lot is known about her character just yet.

"I had started to talk to my agent, actually, right before this about retirement," Hamilton told Variety. "I was having a terrible hip issue for a few years, and I was like, 'I can't guarantee that I'm gonna be at my best. And if I can't do that, then I don't want to be in front of [the] camera.

"So after that phone call with my agent, cut to two months later, that was the last time we spoke: 'I'm retiring.' And then they called about Stranger Things and said, 'is Linda available from June to June?'" she continued. "And [my agent] went, 'Yes!' He didn't even check with me, he just went 'Yes!' So, and then there was the Zoom meeting with the Duffer brothers, who could not have been kinder."

Stranger Things season 5 is the final season of the hit Netflix show, and, by the sounds of things, this is the last time we'll see these characters, too.

"This really is the end of the story of Eleven and Mike and Lucas and Dustin and Steve and all these characters, and Hawkins specifically," Ross Duffer has said, with Matt Duffer adding, "There's not really anything else worth exploring. The book is closed, and the ending wouldn't be very impactful if we left it cracked open for some sort of sequel."

Stranger Things season 5 Volume 1 arrives this November 27. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the best Netflix shows to fill out your watchlist.