What Is Edward Furlong's Net Worth?
Edward Furlong is an American actor who has a net worth of $100,000. Edward Furlong is probably most recognized for his role as a child actor in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." He has also starred in such movies as "American History X," "Detroit Rock City," and "Pet Sematary Two." In 2019, Edward returned to the "Terminator" universe with a role in the reboot "Terminator: Dark Fate," which also starred Linda Hamilton. Unfortunately, in later years, Edward has made more headlines for his troubled personal life, which has included a number of arrests and stints in rehab.
Early Life and "Terminator 2"
Edward Furlong was born Edward Walter Furlong on August 2, 1977, in Glendale, California. His mother worked at a youth center, and he never met his father. He is of Spanish descent on his mother's side and has stated that he has some Russian heritage as well. He was discovered by the casting director for James Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" while sitting outside on the steps of the Pasadena Boys and Girls Club in September 1990. Edward was just 13 when he was offered the role of John Connor alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day."
Prior to being offered the role, Furlong hadn't considered acting as a career, and it complicated his already tumultuous home life. After she separated from his stepfather, Furlong's mother let him live with her sister and brother-in-law. They were awarded guardianship in 1991 and initially served as his managers. Because he was a minor, Edward had a court-appointed attorney to help protect his finances. While he was working on "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," his mother and aunt were engaged in a bitter custody dispute. After the film's release, they were still his legal guardians and maintained that they were not receiving enough of Furlong's money to support the lifestyle of a star. Their financial disputes with his attorney continued until his mother finally regained custody in 1994.
For his performance in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," Edward won an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Role in addition to a Saturn Award for Best Young Actor.
"Terminator 2" Salary & Family Troubles
Edward Furlong's salary for "Terminator 2" was $75,000. After adjusting for inflation, that's the same as around $150,000 in today's dollars.
It was, without a doubt, an absolutely life-changing amount of money for Edward and his family. Unfortunately, more money brought more troubles to an already troubled home life. On the day he was cast in "T2," Furlong was living with his mother's sister and their half-brother, who he considered his uncle. Edward's mother never publicly revealed the identity of Edward's father, and a year before Furlong was cast in "T2," she separated from a different man. As "T2" was being filmed, Edward's mother, sister, and uncle became locked in a bitter custody battle, with both sides accusing each other of attempting to control the young actor solely for his growing bank account. During those early acting years, the aunt and uncle served as Edward's guardians on set, earning $250 per day to accompany him where he went. They also controlled how money was spent and would later be accused of overspending to improve their own lifestyle rather than take care of Edward's needs. The uncle would later claim that he went into debt to the tune of $36,000 attempting to keep up with the fast lifestyle that Furlong's newfound fame required. For example, he claimed the family incurred a multi-thousand-dollar phone bill in a short period to cover many phone calls to Japan that were suddenly required after Edward had become a pop star in the country.
At the same time, a woman named Jacqueline Louise Domac was hired as Edward's stand-in on sets and tutor for moments when he was not acting. A year after "Terminator 2" was released, it was revealed that Furlong – who was 13 at the time – had begun a sexual relationship with Domac, who was 26. They even went so far as to move in together. His uncle attempted to have her prosecuted for statutory rape but was unsuccessful. Domac sued Furlong for domestic abuse in 1999.
In 1993, Edward was paid a career-high $350,000 to star in "Brainscan." That's the same as around $720,000 in today's dollars. Producers would later claim that Furlong and his aunt and uncle were constantly fighting on the set. The aunt and uncle were ultimately banished from the set and his mother was reinstated as Edward's legal guardian. Around this time, Furlong and Domac began living together and subsisted off a $2,500 monthly allowance doled out by a court-appointed manager.
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After "T2"
In 1992, Edward starred in the fantasy horror sequel film "Pet Sematary Two."Although not as successful as the first film, it was still moderately successful at the box office, earning $17 million off an $8 million budget. In 1993, he appeared along with Jeff Bridges in the romantic crime drama "American Hearts" and with Kathy Bates in the biographical drama "A Home of Our Own." The next year, he saw the release of the crime drama "Little Odessa" and the comedy horror film "Brainscan."
He continued to appear in films with talented actors into his adulthood. He starred alongside Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson in the 1996 crime drama "Before and After," which was a huge flop at the box office.
In 1998, Furlong was cast in his most critically acclaimed film "American History X." The film follows a reformed neo-Nazi recently out of prison, played by Edward Norton, as he tries to prevent his younger brother, played by Furlong, from repeating his mistakes. The film was critically acclaimed, but it performed poorly at the box office and was a net loss. Norton was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Also that year, Edward was cast as the title character in the dramedy film "Pecker."
In the 2000s, his star power began to fade, and much of his acting work was in television films, but he did begin the decade with a role in the Steve Buscemi-directed film "Animal Farm." He was cast as the lead opposite Tara Reid for the 2005 sequel film "The Crow: Wicked Prayer," and although it was released in theaters, interest was so low that it was pulled within weeks and released directly to video. The following year, Furlong had a leading role in the independent drama "Jimmy and Judy."
In 2009, he appeared in a remake of the 1988 horror film "Night of the Demons," which was not nearly as successful as the original. It was an incredible commercial failure, only grossing $64,000 against a budget of $10 million. However, he saw more success in 2011 with a supporting role in the superhero action film "The Green Hornet," which featured Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz. While it wasn't well received among critics, it was a moderate commercial success, grossing over $250 million against a $110 million budget. In 2019, he reprised his role as John Connor for the sequel "Terminator: Dark Fate," but he was only on set for one day because Connor was killed off in the opening scene.
Legal Issues and Substance Abuse
As is not uncommon with children who enter the entertainment industry without a proper support system, Furlong has faced a number of issues in his personal life.
He has struggled with alcoholism as well as heroin and cocaine addiction, and in 2000, he went to rehab for treatment. In 2006, he married Rachel Bella, and the couple has a son together. She filed for divorce in June 2009 and revealed that their son had tested positive for cocaine and that Edward had been physically abusive towards her. Bella filed a restraining order in September of that year after Furlong punched her in the face, and he was later charged with violating the restraining order and given three years of probation. In 2012, he was arrested for felony domestic violence after assaulting his then-girlfriend Monica Keena. He was arrested again for assaulting her in November of that year and once more in January 2013. He was later sentenced to 180 days in jail. Continuing the pattern, he was arrested for assaulting his next girlfriend in May 2013, and he avoided prison by agreeing to five years of probation, one year of domestic violence classes, and 90 days of rehab. After those incidents and their consequences, he finally committed to sobriety, and he sometimes accompanies Keena at fan meet-and-greets.
