Terminator: Dark Fate actress Linda Hamilton discusses returning as Sarah Connor: "She's a broken woman living in Hell... You don’t miss those roles"

Other than an uncredited voice cameo in Terminator: Genisys, Linda Hamilton has stayed auspiciously away from the Terminator franchise and returning as her character, Sarah Connor. However, that's all about to change with Terminator: Dark Fate, the sixth movie in the franchise. Convincing Hamilton to return, though, took some persuasion.

“People have never stopped asking me if I was going to play her again and I was always like, ‘You mean the geriatric version? In a wheelchair?’” Hamilton tells our sister publication Total Film magazine while on set of Dark Fate. Through a mess of blood, sweat and military gear, she continues: “I look at Sarah as a broken woman living in Hell. That’s not someone you want to keep on playing. You don’t miss those roles. They cost you a bit, y’know?”

Taking a month (and several pleading phone calls from James Cameron, who returns as producer) to decide, Hamilton finally signed on at the start of 2018. “To be honest, I always felt like the story was complete after T2,” says Hamilton. “But I also felt that with all that life has brought me in the last 27 years that I might have more to say. It was about coming to terms with the fact that I’m not what I was, and realising that I’m so much more now.”

So where exactly is Sarah in 2019? Is she still dealing with the aftermath of 1995? Still preparing for a future that might not happen? “Well, she’s not just a happy kinda grandma… Just look at her choice in style!” laughs Hamilton, thumbing her ammo belt. “We considered making her completely alcoholic. I thought that would have been fantastic. I was like, ‘What if she’s fat and then I don’t have to work out?’ Wouldn’t that surprise people?! But nobody went for that one. I just had visions of pastry…”

Tougher and wiser than we’ve ever seen her, the new Connor is driven by vengeance and rage – now filling the resistance leader role that was always destined for her son (who also makes a reappearance, played once again by Edward Furlong).

Hamilton spoke at length with Total Film magazine about working on Dark Fate, while Arnold Schwarzenegger also touched on why they decided to return to the franchise. See more exclusive images here. The new issue reaches store shelves on September 20. Meanwhile, Terminator: Dark Fate lands in cinemas on October 23.

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