Who played the title cyborg in James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator?

Arnold Schwarzenegger played the title cyborg in James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator.

Schwarzenegger portrays a Model 101 Terminator, an infiltrator machine sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor before the birth of her son, John. The character is identified mainly as the Terminator rather than by a personal name.

The role was a major change for Schwarzenegger, who was already known as a bodybuilder and action-film performer. His imposing physique, restrained delivery, and limited dialogue helped make the machine seem emotionally cold and unstoppable.

Michael Biehn played Kyle Reese, the human soldier sent back to protect Sarah, while Linda Hamilton played Sarah. Robert Patrick played a different Terminator model, the shape-shifting T-1000, in the 1991 sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day.