Why does it seem to be so difficult for Hollywood to cast John Connor? The character from the Terminator series has become part of our cultural language; he is a reference symbol for revolution, endurance, and strength. To date there have been four different John Connors cast to implement this image, but are they appropriate selections for that important a character?
The original John Connor was played by Edward Furlong in 1991s classic Terminator 2: Judgement Day, but his myth existed long before then. As early as 1986, in the original Terminator the concept of the ultimate savior was already born. He was already named John Connor, and tales of his glory were already being spread by his men. By the end of that first film we had a name, an idea, and fantastic genes from super-parents Linda Hamilton, and Michael Biehn. (I will Always defend Hicks!) That child was destined for greatness, but has he lived up to it?
The original John Connor, played by Furlong, was brilliant. He was edgy, adorable, and slightly criminal. I doubt there will be much debate about the best John Connor, as who could top Furlong's performance in T2? We expected John to be clever and resourceful from the start, and so for some reason his being a juvenile delinquent just fit well. He knew how to deal with the Terminators and look cool while doing so. Anyone who could teach a machine how to say, "Hasta la vista, baby" could be the man to lead us into war with style. That, and many more reasons, is what garnered him posters on teen girls' walls along with the title of best John Connor.
Yet, since this original performance there have been a series of misfortunes, let downs, and just plain bad casting decisions. In Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Nick Stahl took over the role of our now dearly beloved Connor. While, I often choose to completely ignore the existence of this film, I will include it for fairness sake. Stahl wasn't horrible as Connor, but the film simply wasn't good. We saw our Connor homeless, stealing medicine from vets, and seeming utterly hopeless. Is that what we want in our saviour? The entire film seemed to remove the great Connor that once was and replace it with a pitiless knock-off. Monologue after monologue we missed our 90's petty thief, for even he seemed more hopeful that this new face.
When Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles premiered it made a brilliant move in avoiding the disaster of T3, it pretended the film had never been made. Here, Connor was a high school kid trying to get by, portrayed by Thomas Dekker. Before the show began many had issues with Dekker, after all wasn't he essentially Claire's gay buddy on Heroes? Dekker had to ask for script changes in 
order to avoid being type cast as a gay character actor. Since the move to Sarah Connor Chronicles, he has been facing similar strife. The character is more T3 than T2 with a woe is me attitude, and the increased sense that he is not big enough for his destiny. In this day and age that portrayal means sideswept man bangs, too tight clothes, and the "emo kid" label. This is not Dekkers fault so much as the shows stylists, but he is finding it difficult to gain serious fans (read: not girls who want to toss their undies at him). The show is still showing promise for our Connor, but is slow to get there. He only recently made his first kill and is starting to push for independence. The show has also added a male figure, Brian Austin Greene as Derek Reese, to allow for fatherly influence as the character grows and develops. In a cast that is dominated by strong female performances it has been difficult for Dekker to gain momentum, but perhaps his time is coming still.
order to avoid being type cast as a gay character actor. Since the move to Sarah Connor Chronicles, he has been facing similar strife. The character is more T3 than T2 with a woe is me attitude, and the increased sense that he is not big enough for his destiny. In this day and age that portrayal means sideswept man bangs, too tight clothes, and the "emo kid" label. This is not Dekkers fault so much as the shows stylists, but he is finding it difficult to gain serious fans (read: not girls who want to toss their undies at him). The show is still showing promise for our Connor, but is slow to get there. He only recently made his first kill and is starting to push for independence. The show has also added a male figure, Brian Austin Greene as Derek Reese, to allow for fatherly influence as the character grows and develops. In a cast that is dominated by strong female performances it has been difficult for Dekker to gain momentum, but perhaps his time is coming still.Finally, there is the latest in the Connor portrayals, as Christian Bale is taking over the role in the post judgement day Terminator: Salvation. The film is slated to come out May 22nd, but is already finding a lot of tension regarding its leading man. Last year Bale was already arrested in July for assault charges (which were dropped) and quickly after word spread of a blow up on set. Now, audio footage of the outburst has been leaked revealing what
exactly occurred on set back last July. The nearly four minute clip features Bale cussing and yelling up a storm at the director of cinematography, Shane Hurlbut, for stepping onto set when the actors were filming. Bale saw Hurlbut, became distracted, and began a tirade on how unprofessional it was. While this is set drama with exhausted actors, it still begs the question of what we expect from our John Connors. The film has not yet been released and is facing a media frenzy over Bales fit. Removing judgements of Bale for a moment, they are everywhere after all, it is another demonstration of what Connor is not. Yes, we would like our Connor to be a bit of a badass, but who has ever expected Connor to yell at people for essentially no good reason? He may yell to save you, teach you a lesson, or as a warning but he wouldn't be cruel.
exactly occurred on set back last July. The nearly four minute clip features Bale cussing and yelling up a storm at the director of cinematography, Shane Hurlbut, for stepping onto set when the actors were filming. Bale saw Hurlbut, became distracted, and began a tirade on how unprofessional it was. While this is set drama with exhausted actors, it still begs the question of what we expect from our John Connors. The film has not yet been released and is facing a media frenzy over Bales fit. Removing judgements of Bale for a moment, they are everywhere after all, it is another demonstration of what Connor is not. Yes, we would like our Connor to be a bit of a badass, but who has ever expected Connor to yell at people for essentially no good reason? He may yell to save you, teach you a lesson, or as a warning but he wouldn't be cruel. John Connor may just be a fictional character to some, but the sheer difficulty in casting and portraying him demonstrates his importance. He has come to encompass some of the most important traits and ideals of our leaders. We expect him to be not only a savior, but strong, kind, funny, intelligent, and yes, still a badass.
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