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“There’s like a magic thing with [Terminator 2: Judgment Day], it’s crazy. Even today kids are still coming up to me loving that movie! I haven’t seen it in…I couldn’t tell you. I can’t even remember. But it’s just one of those movies that holds up so well. It’s timeless.” Edward Furlong seemed destined to soar to extraordinary levels of fame and fortune following his portrayal of the character John Connor in the second installment of the popular Terminator franchise. Unfortunately, he stumbled into many of the same struggles as other child actors, which hurt both his personal and professional life.

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Edward Furlong may have been one of the buzz-worthiest names of the early 1990s, but legal troubles -- including substance abuse and domestic violence --compromised his career as well as his financial stability. Today, he has a reported net worth in the neighborhood of $100,000. Here’s a closer look at Edward Furlong’s journey.

Becoming John Connor

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Edward Furlong was born in Glendale, California on August 2, 1977. He was raised by his aunt and uncle, who also managed his career. Furlong got his big break in 1990 at the age of 13 when a casting director spotted him at the Pasadena Boys and Girls Club.  This lead to him landing the role of John Connor, for which Furlong received significant commercial and critical acclaim. In addition to becoming one of the hottest young stars of the time, Furlong also took home multiple awards for his work in the movie, including both MTV Movie and Saturn awards. He also made significant bank, earning work a salary of up to $350,000 for his acting work, although this may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to Terminator 2’s $198 million haul. 

Furlong’s career continued to grow after Terminator 2, during which time he was In recognized not just for his acting prowess, but also for choosing diverse projects. “I enjoy playing people that are totally different than me. It’s a challenge to get inside these people’s heads and wonder why they would have these beliefs," Furlong said.

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Following Terminator 2, other roles quickly followed for Furlong, including Before and After, Little Odessa, American Heart, A Home of Our Own, Pet Sematary Two, Pecker, American History X, Detroit Rock City, Animal Factor, Brainscan and The Grass Heart. His face was also a familiar one on MTV thanks to Furlong's appearances in two high-profile music videos: Metallica’s “That Unnamed Feeling” and Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge.” Furlong also released an album of his own called “Hold on Tight,” which was a huge hit in Japan.

Setbacks and Stumbling Points

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While the last decade of the 1990s was a highpoint for Edward Furlong, the decade that followed saw things bottoming out. For starters, many of his films ended up going straight to DVD. However, the biggest disappointment came when his part in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was recast with someone else. Furlong was also set for a comeback with a starring role in The Crow: Wicked Prayer, but that film’s reception was poor and it went on to last a mere week in theaters. 

Furlong was also struggling with alcoholism and drug abuse during this time, eventually entering a rehab program in 2000. He was also arrested for felony domestic violence, misdemeanor battery, and other offenses. All of these troubles weren't just embarrassing, they also took a serious toll on Furlong's finances as   legal expenses add up. 

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While Furlong may have been down, he wasn’t out yet. “I’ve been slow this last year and a half working on getting my life back on track and getting sober. Hopefully, things will turn around,” he said. His wish at at least partially came true:  He recently made headlines when it was announced that he’d be in Dark Fate, the next film in the Terminator series.

Whether Furlong and his finances fully recover is yet to be seen, but his positive attitude can only work in his favor.  “It hasn’t been a totally smooth road, but in the whole span of things feel like a very lucky person,” Furlong has said. 

And while $100,000 may not seem like much for a movie star, it still bests the US median net worth of $97,300. Still, Furlong has a long way to go before reaching the level of wealth of many of his former co-stars, including Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Which begs the question: What is the net worth of the Terminator, anyway? A mind-boggling $400 million -- 4,000 times that of Furlong.