Getting a franchise off the ground and onto the big screen is one of the hardest things to pull off successfully in Hollywood, and many franchises are shot down after just a single film. Sure, the MCU and Star Wars have made it looks easy, but fans have missed out on plenty of potential franchises through the years.
Back in the 80s, the Terminator franchise got underway, and the first two films remain some of the best action movies of all time. Linda Hamilton was a huge piece of the franchise’s success, and while filming Terminator 2, an accident she had caused her permanent hearing loss.
Let’s take a look back and see what happened.
She Didn’t Wear Ear Plugs While Firing Rounds
Making an action movie means that plenty of wild stunts are going to be involved and that people on set can get seriously injured if something goes wrong. Even some of the simpler stunts require the utmost caution to avoid something really bad taking place. Unfortunately, a lapse in judgment for wearing PPE on set led to Linda Hamilton dealing with a serious problem later on down the line.
Now, real bullets are not used on set to avoid an unforeseen tragedy taking place, but this does not mean that shots aren’t fired. Because of how loud things can get, especially in a closed space, performers need to be wearing hearing protection to minimize any sort of hearing damage that they could get. While filming Terminator 2, Linda Hamilton forgot to pop in some PPE prior to filming, and what unfolded next changed everything.
In an interview with Blockbuster, Hamilton revealed, “The doors closed, we had shotguns and started blasting, and suddenly I was in agony. I fell to my knees in pain. I thought I'd been shot. That was how bad it was. I knew we weren't using real ammunition, that they were squibs, little explosives that double for bullets, but I was sure that something has misfired and I'd been hit by shrapnel or something.”
“The noise was so intense, so extreme, I'll never forget it. So I fell to the ground, but thought 's**t, nobody's noticing, nobody's stopping,' so I got back up again, picked up my gun and kept on going. That was the professional thing to do. But it hurt like h***," she continued.
She Suffered Permanent Ear Damage
At that moment, Linda Hamilton had absolutely no idea what had actually taken place as she continued to film, Now, there is a fine line between being professional for the sake of getting filming done and seeking help for something bad that happened during a shot, and Hamilton should have gotten some medical attention immediately.
Hamilton didn’t know it at the time, but to this day, she has hearing damage that won’t ever improve. While this hearing loss is only in one ear, it is still a permanent reminder of what can happen when someone doesn’t wear PPE when they should be. Accidents on set are bound to happen, but this is one that could have been avoided.
Despite sustaining a life-changing injury on set, Terminator 2 wound up being a colossal success at the box office upon its release. The film is considered to be perhaps the best sequel movie of all time, and it remains one of Hamilton’s biggest and best movies of her entire career.
After the success of those two films, Hamilton would continue to have a successful career in Hollywood, but eventually, the franchise would come knocking once again.
She Returned To The Role In Dark Fate
The Terminator franchise is one that has had a number of ups and downs throughout the years, and many performers have come and gone. After being away from the franchise for years, Linda Hamilton wound up making her return in Terminator: Dark Fate, much to the delight of fans.
Sure, she had a small voice role in Salvation, but Dark Fate was going to feature the performer back in the saddle as the iconic Sarah Connor. Hamilton’s presence in the trailer alone had fans buzzing, and there was hope that this movie was going to elevate the franchise back to its glory days.
Ultimately, Dark Fate was not the huge hit that the studio was hoping for, as it only grossed $261 million at the worldwide box office. It is possible that the franchise could be put on ice for good, but we will have to wait and see how that plays out. Nevertheless, it was still great for fans to see Hamilton back in action.
Linda Hamilton’s on-set injury while filming Terminator 2 caused permanent hearing damage, but it did not stop her from returning to the franchise years later.