He was one of the breakout stars of the early 90s after being cast alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
But despite his career getting off to such a flying start as a teenager, John Connor actor Edward Furlong dropped off the film radar after just a few more appearances, leading to him becoming a fixture on ‘where are they now?’ lists as fans of the Terminator franchise question what happened to the young star.
These days he’s attempting to put his troubled past behind him, having revealed in 2024 that he is now sober.
And — as expected more than three decades on — he’s been looking pretty unrecognisable in a string of recent convention appearances.
Now aged 48, the actor is due to appear at the Melbourne Metro Comic Con this weekend (July 17 and 18), in a reunion with co-star Linda Hamilton, as the hit film marks its 35th anniversary.
Speaking on social media, the organisers said: ‘Metro Citizens, there is no fate but what we make! We are absolutely stoked to announce that 90s icon EDWARD FURLONG is heading to Metro Comic Con!
‘Back in 1991, he taught a cybernetic assassin how to high-five and then saved humanity as John Connor in the sci-fi masterpiece Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’
They added: ‘Edward is joining his iconic on-screen mother, Linda Hamilton, for a bucket-list T2 reunion here in Melbourne! Terminator fans can look forward to a combined guest panel, professional photograph tokens, and an exclusive meet & greet.’
Excited fans have flocked to the announcement, with one saying: ‘Linda and Edward duo photo! Epic!’, while another added: ‘Killing it with these guests.’
The actor was just 13 years old when he won the iconic role opposite Schwarzenegger, playing John Connor, the son of Hamilton’s Sarah Connor, and the character who is destined to lead the human resistance against Skynet.
While he went on to star in other notable 90s flicks include Pet Sematary Two, Detroit Rock City and American History X, he struggled with years of drug problems and entered rehab for the first time in 2000.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2022, he explained that becoming so famous at such a young age had been a factor, saying: ‘When I was younger, I didn’t have too many people looking out for me and I was left to run wild.
‘I didn’t know how to manage my money. If I was older, I wouldn’t have made so many bad decisions.’
The actor married actress Rachael Bella — with whom he has a son, Ethan — in 2006, but she filed for divorce in 2009, citing irreconcilable differences. Court documents alleged that their then six-year-old son had tested positive for cocaine after a visit with the actor.
Furlong later spiraled back into addiction, culminating in him being arrested for domestic battery against his then girlfriend and being sentenced to 180 days in prison.
After another brush with the law on drug charges in 2016, while he was attempting to get clean, he was given a suspended sentence and told he would be jailed again if he did not complete a six-month rehab programme.
He later spent a year at a rehab centre in California and he revealed in 2022 he had been sober for four years, as well as having his teeth fixed after they had rotted through years of drug abuse.
Speaking in 2024 he addressed the issue of turning his life around, saying: ‘It feels great to be back on set and sober too.
‘I didn’t feel hungover when I went to work. There’s other sober people at work which is weird because if you’re not sober, you’re not hanging out with the other sober people. It was cool.’
Furlong’s most recent film credit is the 2024 movie Unspeakable: Beyond The Wall Of Sleep.
Fans of his iconic movie debut now have the chance to see it on the big screen again very soon, as it’s being re-released in the US on August 28 and the UK on September 4 to mark the film’s 35th anniversary.