18 Lesser-Known Facts About ‘The Terminator’

Debuting on October 26, 1984, The Terminator arrived with minimal fanfare. Its creator, James Cameron, a relatively unknown writer and director at the time, had faced hardships, including living out of his car after sneaking into the editing suite of his prior project, Piranha II: The Spawning.

Produced on a modest $6.4 million budget, the film went on to gross over $78.3 million, securing its place among the year’s top earners. As its 40th anniversary nears, here are some intriguing details about this groundbreaking sci-fi classic.

1. The concept for The Terminator was born from a vivid fever dream.

James Cameron faced a chaotic journey during his directorial debut with 1981’s Piranha II: The Spawning, but as he once remarked, “nightmares can be a valuable asset.” While in Rome for the film’s release, Cameron experienced a feverish dream of a “metallic figure emerging from flames.”

2. However, Harlan Ellison later secured an out-of-court settlement regarding the concept.

Ellison claimed that The Terminator was a “blatant copy” of a 1964 episode of The Outer Limits he wrote called “Soldier,” which was based on his 1957 short story “Soldier From Tomorrow.” Orion Pictures and the outspoken author reached an undisclosed settlement. Cameron later dismissed Ellison as a “parasite who can kiss my ass.”

3. James Cameron sold the screenplay for The Terminator for just $1.

The film might never have faced lawsuits if Cameron hadn’t taken bold risks to bring it to life. Legend has it that Cameron’s agent despised the concept, prompting Cameron, who was then living in his car, to dismiss him.

Cameron’s boldest move was demanding to direct The Terminator, despite his only prior credit being Piranha II: The Spawning. Rather than auctioning the script, Cameron sold it to producer Gale Anne Hurd for $1, on the condition that he helm the project.

The gamble yielded multiple rewards: Cameron and Hurd tied the knot in 1985 (though they divorced in 1989, and Cameron went on to marry three more times, including director Kathryn Bigelow and Terminator star Linda Hamilton).

4. Lance Henriksen was the first to portray a Terminator on screen.

Prior to James Cameron’s pitch meeting with Hemdale Film Corporation, Lance Henriksen stunned everyone by barging in, dressed as the Terminator, complete with a leather jacket and gold foil on his teeth. His convincing act caused the secretary to drop her typewriter in shock. Henriksen was later cast as Detective Hal Vukovich for his efforts.

5. The studio initially envisioned Kyle Reese with a robotic canine companion.

With a modest $6.4 million budget, Cameron enjoyed significant creative freedom from Hemdale and Orion Pictures—mostly. Hemdale’s John Daly urged Cameron to remove the film’s powerful factory finale, prompting Cameron to retort, “F*** you! The film isn’t over yet.”

Cameron was slightly more open to Orion’s suggestions, responding less harshly. The first was to deepen the bond between Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) and Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), which Cameron incorporated. The second, a proposal for Reese to have a robotic dog, was ultimately (and perhaps regrettably) scrapped.

6. The studio allegedly pushed for O.J. Simpson to portray the T-800.

Though often dismissed as an internet myth, Orion co-founder Mike Medavoy confirmed in 2014 that he had strongly recommended O.J. Simpson for the titular role. Cameron rejected the idea, feeling Simpson appeared too friendly for the part.

7. Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally cast as Kyle Reese.

During a lunch meeting with Schwarzenegger, Cameron reconsidered and proposed the actor play the titular villain instead, after Schwarzenegger shared his thoughts on how the T-800 should behave.

Despite his strong opinions on the character, Schwarzenegger was hesitant to play the antagonist, having recently achieved fame as the heroic Conan in Conan the Barbarian. However, he eventually agreed. The meeting ended awkwardly when Cameron realized he had forgotten his wallet.

8. Sting was offered $350,000 to portray Kyle Reese.

At the time, Sting was busy with The Police, writing songs and playing bass, while also set to star in David Lynch’s Dune. Other names floated for the role included Bruce Springsteen, despite his lack of acting experience, as well as Matt Dillon, Kurt Russell, Tommy Lee Jones, Mickey Rourke, Michael O’Keefe, Scott Glenn, Treat Williams, Christopher Reeve, and Mel Gibson.

Bruce Willis, another rising star at the time, also missed out on the role. (Interestingly, Jai Courtney, who played Willis’s son in A Good Day to Die Hard, later took on the role of Kyle Reese in the 2015 reboot, Terminator: Genisys.)

Michael Biehn ultimately landed the role of Kyle Reese, despite initially disappointing producers with a Southern accent during his audition. After his agent clarified that the accent was from preparing for a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof stage role (which he didn’t secure), Biehn was given another chance. “I went back in, read for Jim again, and the rest is history,” Biehn recalled in a 2011 Den of Geek interview.

9. The lead actors had reservations about the film.

According to bodybuilder Rick Wayne, who visited Schwarzenegger on the set of 1984’s Conan the Destroyer, the Austrian star was unimpressed with his next project, reportedly calling it “some sh*t movie” he was working on.

Linda Hamilton was also skeptical, partly due to Schwarzenegger’s inexperience as an actor. “I was a snobby New York actress,” she admitted, though she later changed her mind after seeing his performance. When Biehn mentioned to his friends that he was starring alongside Schwarzenegger, they joked, “Well, good luck with that.”

10. Biehn considered one of the film’s stunts to be among the most challenging he’d ever seen.

Biehn has performed numerous stunts involving running, jumping, and fighting, but one stunt in The Terminator stood out as one of the most grueling he’s ever seen—and he didn’t even perform it himself.

In the scene where Reese falls from the sky into a Los Angeles alley, Biehn recalls a stuntman positioned about 7 feet high on wooden planks. “When Jim yelled action,” Biehn explained, “the stuntman, completely naked, leaped sideways and landed directly onto the concrete. And it was real concrete, no padding whatsoever.”

Biehn pointed out that if you watch closely, the concrete remains rigid while the stuntman’s body “crumples” upon impact. “With 40 years in the industry,” the Aliens actor remarked, “that remains one of the most intense stunts I’ve ever witnessed.”

11. Schwarzenegger attempted to alter the iconic line, “I’ll be back.”

Concerned about his pronunciation of “I’ll,” Schwarzenegger proposed to Cameron that he say, “I will be back,” arguing that the T-800 wouldn’t use contractions.

Cameron retorted, “Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act.” He then promised Schwarzenegger they’d film 10 takes and choose the best one. Interestingly, in Shawn Huston’s novelization of the script, the line reads, “I’ll come back.”

12. Schwarzenegger utters just 58 words in the entire film.

While the T-800 technically speaks more than Arnold’s 17 lines, one is an overdubbed voice of a police officer, and another is in the voice of Sarah Connor’s mother, used to deceive her.

13. Linda Hamilton fractured her ankle before filming began.

To accommodate her injury, all scenes requiring Sarah Connor to flee from the T-800, such as the iconic Tech Noir sequence, were filmed toward the end of production.

In an early script draft, Cameron included a detail about Connor having a past figure skating injury that left surgical pins in her tibia. The T-800 would cut open the legs of the first two Sarah Connors to search for this mark. However, this detail was removed from the final version.

14. The T-800’s point of view can still be accessed if you own an Apple II.

If you have an Apple II, typing ] call -151 * p at the basic prompt will display the Terminator’s perspective.

15. In Poland, the film was titled “The Electronic Murderer.”

The Polish translation of “terminator” roughly means “apprentice,” which didn’t align with the film’s tone. Once the movie gained popularity in Poland, the sequels retained their original titles.

16. The film’s tight budget led to significant physical strain for the crew.

During the scene where the T-800’s hand is struck with a lead pipe by Kyle Reese, special effects artist Tom Woodruff Jr. endured the blows himself.

Unsurprisingly, he lost sensation in his fingers. As a gesture of appreciation, James Cameron sent him a Christmas card that said, “Merry Christmas. Hope the feeling returns to your fingers someday.”

17. Actor David Hyde Pierce has consistently denied appearing in the film.

This is one of those odd tidbits you might not know. Allegedly, David Hyde Pierce (known for Frasier) made his debut as the co-driver of the tanker truck stolen by the T-800. However, the actor has emphatically stated that it was another actor named David Pierce, and his IMDb page no longer includes this role.

18. The teaser trailer featured the voice of Optimus Prime.

Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime, also lent his talents to the 2010s Transformers films. Beyond robots, Cullen voiced Eeyore from 1988 to 2010.

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated for 2023.