Edward Furlong

Edward Furlong
Furlong at the 2009 London Film Con
Born
Edward Walter Furlong

(1977-08-02) August 2, 1977 (age 46)
OccupationActor
Years active1990–present
Spouse
(m. 2006; div. 2009)
PartnerMonica Keena (2009–2013)
Children1

Edward Walter Furlong (born August 2, 1977) is an American actor. He won Saturn and MTV Movie Awards for his breakthrough performance at age 13 as John Connor in James Cameron's 1991 science fiction action film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was followed by a mini-sequel, short attraction film T2-3D: Battle Across Time.

In 1992, he gave an Independent Spirit Award-nominated turn opposite Jeff Bridges in American Heart, and earned a second Saturn Award nomination for his work in Pet Sematary Two. He won a Young Artist Award for his performance alongside Kathy Bates in A Home of Our Own (1993) and appeared in Before and After (1996) with Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson. Furlong received acclaim for his starring roles in the 1998 motion pictures Pecker, co-starring Christina Ricci, and American History X, co-starring Edward Norton. He had significant roles in the comedy Detroit Rock City (1999) and the crime drama Animal Factory (2000).

Early life

Edward Furlong was born August 2, 1977, in Glendale, California, the son of Eleanor Torres, a youth-center worker, and Heinrich Bruno Wittig. Furlong is of Mexican descent on his mother's side, and has also described himself as "part Russian".

Furlong's father died when he was about three years old. His mother's sister, Nancy Tafoya, and their half-brother, Sean Furlong, obtained custody of him for several years, including 1990–1991, when he began his acting career. Initially, the two served as Furlong's managers.

Career

1990s

In 1991, Furlong began his film career as John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a role that earned him an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Role and a Saturn Award for best young actor. He was discovered for the part by casting director Mali Finn while visiting the Pasadena Boys and Girls Club in September 1990.

He followed this role with a string of moderately successful high-profile films and independent films, sharing the screen with Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson in Before and After (1996); Tim Roth, Maximilian Schell and Vanessa Redgrave in Little Odessa (1995); Jeff Bridges in American Heart (1993); and Anthony Edwards and Clancy Brown in Pet Sematary Two (1992).

In 1993, he was featured in Aerosmith's music video for "Livin' on the Edge". He played the lead role of Michael Brower, a horror and videogame-obsessed teen in the sci-fi horror film Brainscan (1994). In 1995, he starred in the film adaptation of Truman Capote's The Grass Harp. He reprised his role as John Connor in the 1996 theme park ride T2-3D: Battle Across Time alongside Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick.

In 1998, he starred in American History X alongside Edward Norton and appeared in his first comedy role in Pecker, directed by John Waters. Of his title role in Pecker, Furlong stated, "It's true most of the characters that I've played so far are kind of like suicidal. Really dark roles, which I like. But I wanted to do something different and John gave me a chance to do that."

In 1998, he starred in the film Detroit Rock City. During filming, he met Natasha Lyonne whom he then dated. He played a young convict in Steve Buscemi's film Animal Factory (2000).

2000s

Furlong's career and stardom declined considerably after 2000, with most of his subsequent films being released straight to DVD. In 2001 he took a role in I Cavalieri che fecero l'impresa aka The Knights of the Quest, a little-seen film by Italian filmmaker Pupi Avati. Furlong was expected to play John Connor again in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003); however, Nick Stahl was cast just before filming began. He later elaborated to have had a deal to reprise his role and was removed after the producers discovered his drug addiction.

In 2004, he appeared in a music video for Metallica's "The Unnamed Feeling", and played Jimmy in the low budget independent film Jimmy & Judy (2004), during which time he met Rachael Bella. The two became romantically involved and later married. He played the lead in The Crow series' fourth film The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005), alongside David Boreanaz and Tara Reid, which was planned for a theatrical release but upon release was widely panned by critics and audiences and was released to DVD after one week in limited theaters. He appeared in Night of the Demons, the 2009 remake of the 1988 horror classic, which was shot in New Orleans and released straight to DVD.

In 2006 and again in 2010, he appeared in five episodes of the television program CSI: NY as Shane Casey.

2010s

Furlong 2010

Furlong appeared in two scenes of Seth Rogen's film The Green Hornet (2011). Next he starred in This Is Not a Movie, an English-language Mexican film written and directed by Olallo Rubio and co-starring Peter Coyote and Edi Gathegi. He was featured as Fixer in the crowdfunded pilot Star Trek: Renegades.

In 2019, James Cameron confirmed that Furlong would be returning to reprise his role of John Connor. It was later reported that his facial likeness would be used via CGI in Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) with Jude Collie as a CGI stand-in, and he was involved in one day of filming for facial capture performance, as John Connor was killed off in the opening scene.

2020s

In 2023, Furlong was slated to star in the movie Forest Hills alongside Shelley Duvall and Dee Wallace as well as Charlie's House.

Other work

In October 1992, Furlong released an album in Japan called Hold on Tight, with a cover of "People Are Strange" by the Doors.

Personal life

When Furlong was 13, he began a relationship with his stand-in and tutor, 26-year-old Jacqueline Domac. They eventually began living together. When California's statutory rape law changed in 1994 to allow the prosecution of adult women who have sex with minors, his uncle Sean Furlong filed a complaint against Domac alleging rape, but was unsuccessful in having Domac prosecuted. In May 1999, Domac sued Edward Furlong for domestic violence and for 15 percent of everything he had made in the previous three years, including his pay for Pecker and American History X, which she claimed that she was owed because she had worked for Furlong as his manager.”

Furlong married Rachael Bella on April 19, 2006. The couple's son was born in September 2006. On July 8, 2009, she filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Later in 2009, she sought to dissolve the restraining order she had filed, so that he could visit their child. In 2012, Bella alleged in court documents that their six-year-old son tested positive for cocaine, which led a judge to rule Furlong's visits had to be supervised.

Substance abuse and legal problems

Furlong's mugshot in Los Angeles, 2014

Furlong has battled alcoholism and drug addiction throughout his career. He first went into rehab in October 2000. In 2006, Furlong stated he was "on and off" hard drugs from ages 22 to 26 and added that "I was a heroin and cocaine addict. It was really scary." and "I don't even think about (partying) anymore. It seems lonely now: running and clubbing and doing coke. I have nightmares about doing hard drugs. I'll wake up and I'm like, 'Did I relapse?'"

In September 2009, Bella filed a restraining order against Furlong after he allegedly punched her in a drug-fueled altercation. In 2010, he received three years of probation for violation of the civil protective order obtained by Bella.

In October 2012, Furlong was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence against his girlfriend Monica Keena. In November 2012, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting Keena. In January 2013, he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery against Keena and arraigned on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for a December 12 misdemeanor domestic violence charge also involving Keena. In March 2013, he was sentenced to 180 days in jail for a violation of probation after he "used force" against his ex-girlfriend, and for violation of a protective order, prohibiting approach and contact with Keena. He was arrested again in May 2013 for assaulting his girlfriend and avoided a further prison sentence after agreeing to five years' probation, 90 days rehab for drug addiction, and one year of domestic violence counseling. He had served 61 days in jail.

Rehabilitation and reconciliation

After his arrest in 2013, Furlong committed to rehabilitation.

In February 2021, he reunited with his American History X co-star, Ethan Suplee, on Suplee's podcast American Glutton to discuss Furlong's recovery from drug addiction and compulsive eating. At the time of publication, he was three years sober from alcohol and illegal substances. Speaking on his initial hesitancy to maintain sobriety, he said, "I genuinely was afraid of facing what I would be without all that, because I carried all that as who I was."

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day John Connor Acting debut
1992 Pet Sematary Two Jeff Matthews
American Heart Nick Kelson
1993 A Home of Our Own Shayne Lacey
1994 Brainscan Michael Brower
Little Odessa Reuben Shapira
1995 The Grass Harp Collin Fenwick
1996 T2-3D: Battle Across Time John Connor Short attraction film, a mini-sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Before and After Jacob Ryan
1998 Pecker Pecker
American History X Danny Vinyard
1999 Detroit Rock City 'Hawk'
2000 Animal Factory Ron Decker
2001 Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy Himself
The Knights of the Quest Simon Di Clarendon Italian film originally titled I Cavalieri Che Fecero L'impresa
2003 Three Blind Mice Thomas Cross
2005 Intermedio Malik
The Crow: Wicked Prayer Jimmy Cuervo / The Crow
Cruel World Philip Markham
Venice Underground Gary
2006 Jimmy and Judy Jimmy Wright
The Visitation Brandon Nichols
High Hopes Tye
The Covenant: Brotherhood of Evil David Goodman Presented originally as Canes at the Cannes Film Festival of 2006
Warriors of Terra Chris
2007 Living & Dying Sam
2008 Dark Reel Adam Waltz
2009 Stoic Harry Katish
Darfur Adrian Archer Released on DVD as Attack on Darfur
Night of the Demons Colin Levy
2010 Kingshighway Dino Scarfino
2011 The Green Hornet Mr. Tupper
This Is Not a Movie Pete Nelson
The Mortician Petrovsky
Below Zero Jack / Frank
Witness Insecurity Johnny Released on DVD as Absolute Killers
Tequila Smith
2012 For The Love of Money Tommy
Crave Ravi
Paranormal Abduction Frank
2013 Matt's Chance Matt
The Zombie King Samuel Peters / The Zombie King
Assault on Wall Street Sean Also known as Bailout: The Age of Greed
Awakened Thomas Burton
2014 Stitch Marsden
The Last Light Noah
Aftermath Brad
2015 A Perfect Vacation Berto Also known as Awaken
2016 A Winter Rose Willy
2017 The Reunion Skip
2019 Terminator: Dark Fate John Connor Facial motion capture and reference only
2023 Heart of a Champion Troy
The Forest Hills Billy

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Saturday Night Live John Connor Episode: "Linda Hamilton / Mariah Carey" (uncredited)
1992 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Himself Guest
1993 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Himself Guest
2001 The Andy Dick Show Himself Episode: "Kid Krist"
2003 V Graham Norton Himself Guest
On ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde Himself
2005 Poorman's Bikini Beach Himself Episodes: "Ms. Melt the Ice", "Perfect 10 Mansion", "Freakfest 2005"
2006, 2010 CSI: NY Shane Casey Episodes: "Hung Out to Dry", "Raising Shane", "Redemption", "The 34th Floor", "Vacation Getaway"
2012 Perception Pete Episode: "Nemesis"
The Glades Way N.E. Bey/Wayne Balldinger Episode: "Public Enemy"
Arachnoquake Charlie TV movie
2014 FanGirl Academy: 101 Himself Episode: "Movie Magic 101"
2015 Star Trek: Renegades Fixer Episode: "Pilot"
2015–2016 From the Mouths of Babes Himself Documentary

Music videos

Year Title Artist Ref.
1993 "Livin' on the Edge" Aerosmith
2004 "The Unnamed Feeling" Metallica
2007 "Still in Love with You" Five A.M.

Awards

Year Award Category Film Result
1992 MTV Movie Award Best Breakthrough Performance Terminator 2: Judgment Day Won
1992 Saturn Award Best Performance by a Younger Actor Terminator 2: Judgment Day Won
1993 Saturn Award Best Performance by a Younger Actor Pet Sematary Two Nominated
1994 Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Male American Heart Nominated
1994 Young Artist Award Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture Drama A Home of Our Own Won
1994 Young Artist Award Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Motion Picture (shared with Miles Feulner, Clarissa Lassig, Amy Sakasitz and Sarah Schaub) A Home of Our Own Nominated
1998 ACCA Best Actor in a Supporting Role American History X Nominated
1999 Young Artist Award Best Supporting Young Actor Performance in a Feature Film American History X Nominated

This page was last updated at 2024-03-28 12:12 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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