As an established actor best known for his villainous roles in “Terminator 2” and “Reacher,” it took a life-changing experience for Robert Patrick to throw his entire heart and soul behind his dream of becoming an actor.
Following an incident in 1984, Mr. Patrick, 65, has not only appeared in “Die Hard 2” and TV’s “The Sopranos,” but “The X-Files” and “1923.” He currently co-stars in season 2 of Prime Video’s “Reacher.”
Identified With the Movies
Because his parents loved the movies, a turning point occurred for Mr. Patrick when they took him to see the 1963 film “A Boy Ten Feet Tall,” which co-starred Fergus McClelland, who played a 10-year-old. Mr. Patrick identified with the part and felt a desire to act someday.It was during the time he was still trying to figure out his life’s path that the acting bug got him and stuck.
“I liked being in front of a camera in commercials, and part of me wanted to be an actor. But that wasn’t done in my family, so I held back,” Mr. Patrick said.
In 1984, while Mr. Patrick was sailing a friend’s 30-foot boat, it capsized and sank. Five of the passengers, including Mr. Patrick’s younger brother Lewis, fell overboard. The boat apparently hadn’t been properly prepped.
Patrick proceeded to swim three-and-a-half miles to shore for help, praying and promising with each stroke that if he survived, he’d genuinely pursue acting.
He ended up making it to the Cleveland yacht club where he and some others then had access to another boat to rescue the others who were with him.
After that, Mr. Patrick kept his vow to move to either Los Angeles or New York to pursue what’s considered one of the hardest careers to be successful in.
From there after flipping a coin, he packed a bag, traversed the country, and made it to the west coast.
He Had the Look and Swagger
At first, Mr. Patrick described himself as “awful,” but he recalled having a look and a swagger and “something people were picking up on.” The acting aspect of his life came together quickly.“I also realized I was an artist before I was allowed to feel like one. It just kind of came out of me. In 1989, I was cast in ‘Die Hard 2.’ Then a year later, my new agent got me an audition for ‘Terminator 2.’ I was cast as T-1000, a huge turning point.”
It’s not that Mr. Patrick didn’t experience the typical Hollywood struggles as a hopeful actor.
He lived in his car and worked at a restaurant, where he met a contact who urged him to audition for a play.
“They needed an edgy presence,” he recalled.
Early Hollywood Struggles
In a 2015 interview with NPR, Mr. Patrick recalled his earlier days in Hollywood.“I had a view of the Hollywood sign,” he said. “I would sit there and look at that Hollywood sign and think: ‘Alright, you’re here. Let’s make something happen.'”
He also remembered going out to his car, getting in, and crying after landing his role in “Die Hard 2.”
“I literally sat there and cried a bit. I remember that. I was so joyful,” he said.
Landing the role in “Terminator 2” also proved to be life-changing because at the time he was battling drug and alcohol addiction. He knew that in tackling such a challenging role he was going to have to curtail his drug habit and he did, cold turkey.
Now 21 years sober, the devout Episcopalian said it was all those experiences that have led to the life he now leads with his wife Barbara in a beautiful home in the Hollywood hills.
“Looking back, I’m so thankful for that boating accident,” said Mr. Patrick. “Climbing out of the water that day, I was a new person.”
