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If you asked me to put together a wish list of candidates for Collider Ladies Night, Linda Hamilton would be one of the names at the very top of it. The fact that she agreed to hop on the show to discuss Terminator: Dark Fate and her career at length is still blowing my mind but my favorite takeaway from this 30 minute chat with Hamilton is her palpable deep respect for her craft and her refusal to ever let anyone "take Linda Hamilton, out of Linda Hamilton." I find Linda Hamilton to be a magnetizing beacon of passion, enthusiasm and inspiration so I'm very glad she'll never let anyone change that.

Hamilton returns to the Terminator franchise as Sarah Connor in Dark Fate. Sarah has spent much of her life battling Terminators and while that's still the case, Dark Fate lets her do that alongside two others - Dani (Natalia Reyes) and the enhanced human sent from the future to protect her, Grace (Mackenzie Davis), and the group makes for one especially powerful trio of kickass leads.

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Image via Paramount Pictures

With Terminator: Dark Fate hitting screens nationwide on Friday, November 1st, it's finally time to share this epic episode of Collider Ladies Night with Hamilton. She discussed everything from the challenging stuntwork in Dark Fate to the misconceptions about method acting and what the technique means to her, her favorite Halloween candy, and so much more. You can watch the full interview in the video player at the top of this article or get the chat in podcast form using the audio embed below:

Linda Hamilton:

  • 01:07 - What was the movie that inspired Hamilton to become an actor?
  • 01:36 - A professor once told Hamilton she'd never make a living acting; how'd she overcome that?
  • 02:35 - Why you don't have to be working to call yourself an actor.
  • 03:28 - Why Hamilton thinks the audition process is a different skillset than acting.
  • 05:40 - What it's like getting offers; finding out the team on a film isn't the right fit.
  • 07:23 - What makes an actor and director ideal collaborators for Hamilton.
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    09:04 - A trademark about herself that she greatly values.
  • 10:52 - How the "badass leading lady" character type has changed over the years.
  • 13:00 - The drastically different career trajectory she originally pictured for herself.
  • 14:47 - Assumptions about method acting; what that technique means to Hamilton.
  • 17:30 - Why Dark Fate was the first film that made Hamilton feel like a true badass.
  • 20:30 - The biggest differences between doing stunts on T2 and Dark Fate.
  • 22:35 - How recently has Hamilton revisited Terminator and T2?
  • 23:44 - Going to very challenging places to get back into Sarah Connor's head; knowing how to protect herself from where she's going while getting into character.
  • 26:30 - What does Hamilton turn to to relax after a challenging shoot?
  • 27:50 - Hamilton offers up some book recommendations.
  • 29:50 - Does Hamilton have any pets?
  • 30:50 - What's her Halloween candy of choice?