No, they’re not American: Meet the international cast of ‘Terminator Genisys’

 

You know that you have an incredibly international cast when the only main actor with an American passport is Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course, international actors - particularly British and Australian ones - have made Hollywood their home since the Golden Age. Think Britain’s Audrey Hepburn, Australia’s Errol Flynn and Sweden’s Ingrid Bergman. Yes, none of these movie icons were American.

90 years later, their modern counterparts are continuing the tradition of invading Hollywood blockbusters, and Terminator Genisys is a perfect example of that. While there are plenty of Americans in supporting roles, they are virtually absent - save for former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger - in the main cast.

Check out these headliners for yourself:

Emilia Clarke (Sarah Connor)

Better known to international audiences as Daenerys Targaryen, a.k.a. Khaleesi, a.k.a. the Mother of Dragons, the Game of Thrones star was born in London, England and raised next door in Berkshire, The daughter of a theatre sound engineer, Clarke attended boarding school in Oxford and fell in love with acting at an early age.

Just one year after graduating from the Drama Centre London, Clarke was cast in her breakthrough role in the HBO series Game of Thrones. And now, everyone knows who she is.

Since appearing on Thrones, Clarke has also starred in the British films Spike Island and Dom Hemingway, and had a Broadway stint in Breakfast at Tiffany‘s in 2013. But she will always be known to us as the platinum blonde scion attempting to regain the Iron Throne. And as Terminator‘s Resistance icon Sarah Connor, of course.

Jai Courtney (Kyle Reese)

One of Hollywood’s up-and-coming action stars actually hails from down under.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Jai Courtney grew up in the suburb of Cherrybrook and attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth.

Courtney first gained international fame for his role as the sandy-haired gladiator Varro in Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The Starz sword-and-sandal series was his ticket to Hollywood; Courtney then appeared in action films Jack Reacher, A Good Day to Die Hard, I, Frankenstein and Divergent. He is set to star as Captain Boomerang in DC’s Suicide Squad. Yes, he seems to be signing on to every franchise in the industry. But hey, it’s made him the next big Aussie thing since the Hemsworth bros.

Jason Clarke (John Connor)

Jason Clarke - of no relation to his Terminator mother, Emilia - clearly takes after his onscreen father. Like Courtney, Clarke also hails from Australia. More specifically, he was born in the town of Winton in Queensland, but he has been a familiar face in Hollywood for quite some time now.

After graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts, Clarke made many apperances on Australian television before landing his international breakthrough role in the American TV drama Brotherhood, in which he starred in the leading role opposite famed British actor Jason Isaacs.

Clarke then became a regular fixture in American cinema, appearing in prominent roles in Lawless, Zero Dark Thirty and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Lee Byung-Hun (T-1000)

Born in Seoul (with a younger sister who is the former Miss Korea), Lee Byung-Hun is one of the most well-known South Korean actors in Hollywood.

Long before he made his way to Tinseltown, Lee was an acclaimed actor in Korean cinema and television, gaining fame for his roles in movies like Joint Security Area and A Bittersweet Life, just to name a few.

He then became known to international audiences as the antagonistic dual-wielding ninja, Storm Shadow, in the first two G.I. Joe movies. Keeping up with the action star momentum, Lee also played an assassin in Red 2. And now, what better action villain to play than the iconic T-1000 in Terminator Genisys?

Matt Smith (Skynet)

If you are a fan of British sci-fi series Doctor Who, you already know that the man playing the personified version of Skynet is English.

Born and raised in Northampton, Smith initially planned on becoming a professional footballer and played on the youth teams of several clubs, including Premier League club Leicester City. After an injury ended his career and a drama teacher persuaded the reluctant Smith to pursue acting, he joined the prestigious National Youth Theatre. Smith went on to study drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

After appearing in countless theatre roles in London and making his television breakthrough as Danny in Party Animals, Smith found fame as the Eleventh Doctor in the popular BBC series Doctor Who. He played the role for three years before being succeeded by Peter Capaldi.

By singing up for a major role in Terminator Genisys and its anticipated sequels, Smith is certainly making a name for himself in the sci-fi genre.