Who could play Sarah Connor and T-800 in “Terminator” (10 photos)

It's hard to imagine any other actors playing Sarah Connor and the Terminator instead of Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.





She perfectly embodied the image of a strong woman on screen before it became mainstream, and he perfectly portrayed the imperturbable and virtually invulnerable cyborg killer.

However, Linda and Arnold were not the only candidates for these now iconic roles. And here's who else could appear in the roles of Sarah Connor and T-800 in James Cameron's film "Terminator" (1984).

Sigourney Weaver



After the release of the 1979 sci-fi film Alien, Sigourney Weaver became the main character - and for a while, the only one! - the heroine of a Hollywood science fiction movie. Who else could play Sarah Connor if not the cosmic badass Ellen Ripley?!

But, if not in “The Terminator,” then in the film “Aliens,” Cameron managed to work with Weaver (and then in “Avatar”).

Sylvester Stallone





Two of the biggest names in action movies of the 80s were Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. So it's no surprise that Sly was at one time considered for Arnie's most iconic role.

Few people know, but James Cameron was one of the screenwriters of the action film Rambo: First Blood 2. Cameron co-wrote it with Stallone while waiting for Schwarzenegger to fulfill his contractual obligations on Conan the Destroyer so he could move on to The Terminator.

Jamie Lee Curtis



Jamie Lee Curtis became famous as a girl escaping from a ruthless killing machine (the classic slasher film "Halloween"). So why not play a similar character again, the producers thought. Jamie was considered for the role of Sarah Connor, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

However, Curtis was able to meet both Cameron and Schwarzenegger on the set - together they worked on the action comedy True Lies.

Michael Douglas



Michael Douglas is a wonderful actor, and James Cameron and his team had no doubt that he would play the T-800 perfectly. However, Michael, with his movie star charisma, intelligent good looks and not-intimidating physique, might have been a better choice for the role of Kyle Reese. However, in the end, Douglas did not get into “Terminator” in any capacity.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus



That's right, the cult heroine could be Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whom most viewers know as a comedic actress, star of the TV series "Seinfeld" and "Veep", as well as the mysterious Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the series " The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and the film "Black Widow".

Julia was offered the role of Sarah Connor, but she turned it down, preferring instead to participate in the comedy television show Saturday Night Live.

In general, several actresses turned down the role of Sarah for other projects: Kathleen Turner chose to star in Romancing the Stone with her old friend Michael Douglas, Kate Capshaw chose Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Daryl Hannah decided to play in Splash "

Tom Selleck



There were rumors that Tom Selleck was offered to play the T-800, but he had to turn it down due to being busy with the TV series Magnum, where he played the title role.

Jennifer Jason Leigh



Cameron considered Jennifer Jason Leigh for the role of Sarah Connor, but ultimately considered the actress too young (in 1984, Jennifer was 22 years old, and Linda Hamilton was 28 years old).

However, the director wanted Lee to star in The Terminator, so he cast her as Ginger. However, at the last minute, Lee was replaced by Bess Motta.

Jurgen Prochnow



Berlin native Jürgen Prochnow was also considered a candidate for the T-800, which is ironic since he played Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2005 biographical TV movie Look, Arnold Is Coming!

Meg Ryan



By the time of filming “The Terminator,” Meg Ryan’s filmography included only a couple of little-known films—the drama “Rich and Famous” and the horror film “Amityville 3-D,” in which she played minor roles.

Meg's type is suitable for Sarah Connor, but, as we know, the choice in the end was not her. But in the 90s, Ryan became one of the main stars of rom-coms, and does not regret at all that the iconic role in “Terminator” passed her by.

And more contenders

Before James Cameron eventually found his ideal Terminator in Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Gere, Kevin Kline, and even Randy Quaid were also considered for the role.

The huge list of actresses who could have played Sarah Connor before Linda Hamilton was cast also includes Glenn Close, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Jodie Foster, Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone and Debra Winger.

And before Michael Biehn was cast as Reese Kyle, producers considered Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Sting. Mel Gibson also auditioned for the project, but it is unclear whether it was Reese or the T-800.