A great start sometimes turns into a road to nowhere. So it was with many bright young actors who brilliantly began, but then their career abruptly declined. A striking example is Edward Furlong. The first film with his participation made him a star. But here he could not maintain the high bar. And now he is known more by scandals and judicial drives than by talented acting.
Actor Biography
Problems began to haunt Edward from childhood. He was born in 1977, on August 2, in the town of Glendale, which is located in California. His mother - Eleanor Torres - was a Mexican. But about his father, Edward Furlong knows only that he was supposedly Russian. But the actor himself has never met him in his life.
It was very difficult for the mother to raise her son alone, and she decided to transfer him under guardianship. Edward was taken by his aunt and uncle. Nancy and Sean Furlong raised a nephew until the age of 16.
It should be noted that the young Furlong did not even think about an acting career. According to him, at that time he did not think about the future at all, he simply studied without grabbing stars from the sky.
A sharp turn in fate
In 1991, an event occurred that dramatically changed the fate of Edward. He was 13 years old when the casting agent Mali Finn drew attention to him at the Pasadena Boys and Girls Club. She was just looking for a suitable actor for the role of John Connor. Cameron launched a new ambitious project. And in “Terminator 2,” he needed a capable teenager who would not be stewing next to Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mali Finn praised the potential of the guy and defended his candidacy in front of the eminent director.
Brilliant start
“Judgment Day” was a great chance for the young actor to declare himself. And it should be noted that, despite some difficulties, he managed to realize this chance. James Cameron discovered a new name - Edward Furlong.
Terminator 2 made the teenager nervous. Once he was even almost fired for breaking the shoot. Edward forgot the words and mixed up the lines.
The second difficulty began with the voice acting of the film. At Furlong, in the midst of filming, his voice began to break sharply. Therefore, during the installation I had to sweat pretty, so that the viewer did not notice the difference on the screen.
For the role of John Connor, Edward Furlong received a prize from MTV in the Breakthrough of the Year nomination. He was also awarded the Saturn Sci-Fi Award for Best Young Actor.
And, of course, incredible popularity fell on the actor.
Care to the music
After The Terminator, Edward suddenly became interested in music. In 1992, he released a solo album. Hold On Tight - the title track from the album of the same name. She became number one on the Japanese charts, eclipsing even the hit of Whitney Houston that year.
In Japan, the actor still has fans who remember his debut album. Although Furlong himself is now ashamed of his brainchild. He denies his musical experience, claiming that it was all done for the sake of money.
Movies with Edward Furlong
The next significant picture in the biography of the actor was the tape "American Heart". Fifteen-year-old Edward played in the film the son of the protagonist performed by Jeff Bridges.
And although the picture was not very popular, lovers of serious drama films appreciated it. At the same time, a very strong game of young Furlong was noted. He was even nominated in the category of the best supporting actor for an award from IFP Spirit.
Then there were still works in which experienced partners received Edward Furlong partners. His filmography contains the paintings “Our Own Home” (Katie Bates), “Little Odessa” (Tim Roth), “Sounds of Harp in the Meadow” (Walter Matthew).
Especially you need to highlight the tape "Little Odessa". Here, the original teachers of Edward along with Tim Roth were Maximilian Shell, Vanessa Redgrave.
It is not surprising that the skill of the young actor grew before our eyes. Still, before his eyes were amazing professionals who had something to adopt in terms of serious acting.
The finest hour for Furlong was shooting with Tony Kay. The 1998 American X-Tape is rightfully considered a masterpiece. Edward Furlong, whose filmography received another brilliant picture, played along with Edward Norton just perfectly.
The picture was very tough and realistic. Many viewers admitted that it was incredibly difficult for them to watch, since the emotions that went into the hall from the screen simply turned the heart and soul out. The pain experienced by the characters was just physically felt when viewed. The film is now called the most powerful anti-racist work.
Critics and viewers unanimously recognized and acknowledge that the cast of actors in American History deserves the most excellent epithets. It is thanks to them that the tape keeps in suspense, makes the heroes sympathize, living with them each episode.
However, after such a powerful statement about his talent, Edward Furlong gradually began to lose ground. There were several more powerful breakthroughs: for example, Stephen Buscemi's crime drama “The Zone of the Wolves” (sometimes the name of this tape is translated as “Animal Factory”), where Will Defoe starred with Furlong.
Downhill
But alas, the farther, the worse the projects in which Furlong appeared. The reason was commonplace - the actor could not stand the popularity that fell on him so early. Problems began with alcohol, drugs, there were drives to the police, scandals and litigation. The directors did not want to mess with the unbalanced actor. Yes, and Edward Furlong's physical form (photos of recent years illustrate this clearly) began to quickly lose. And now his name is associated with many only with high-profile scandals. It's a pity. After all, the actor’s potential was promising ...