Robert Patrick is the only actor killed by these 3 iconic action movie stars

Some actors are simply suited to playing bad men, and while Robert Patrick isn’t always a drag, the films he’s best known for feature him giving the good guys a tremendously hard time. The one-time athletic standout at Bowling Green State University began taking small roles in exploitation films directed by famed Filipino filmmaker Cirio H. Santiago (his 1976 action film “The Muthers” is a must-see), and eventually found his way. to Hollywood, where he landed his breakout role as the liquid metal T-1000 in James Cameron’s classic 1991 action film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

Patrick showed real range in ’90s films like “Fire in the Sky,” “The Cool Surface” and “Striptease,” but for the most part Hollywood knew he could deliver the sneering traits of a villain, and he took on these roles without hesitation. (He’s especially nasty as DC white supremacist supervillain August “Auggie” Smith, aka the White Dragon in Max’s “Peacemaker” series.) In doing so, Patrick often faced off against some of the most famous action heroes in film history. , meaning their characters rarely made it to the end credits with a pulse. But that’s the job, and Patrick is more than good with this situation. In fact, he is proud of his many on-screen deaths, especially when he is killed by one of Hollywood’s bigwigs.

In a 2008 interview with Den of GeekRobert Patrick was asked how he felt about being offended by the holy trinity of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis (find out where those three ranked on /Film’s list of the 18 Greatest Action Movie Actors). He elaborated by adding a fourth star to his list of on-screen attackers. According to Patrick:

“It’s (a badge of honor), but let me give you a little extra badge of honor. Ready for this? First I got killed by Bruce Willis, Schwarzenegger, then Stallone. And in ‘Charlie’s Angels 2,’ I got killed.” by the former Mrs. Bruce Willis (aka Demi Moore).”

That’s a prestigious list of hunters. For those keeping score, here’s how Patrick says goodbye to the living in each of these films:

• In “Die Hard 2” (directed by Renny Harlin and released in 1990), Willis is shot repeatedly by John McClane through a dislodged vent in an airport terminal under construction.
• In “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (which, again, was directed by James Cameron and came out in 1991), Schwarzenegger shoots him in the stomach with a grenade like a T-800 and plummets into a pool of molten metal ( where it desperately tries to remodel itself before dissolving into oblivion).
• In “Cop Land” (directed by James Mangold and released in 1997), he runs out of his house, attacks a shotgun-wielding Freddy Heflin (Stallone), and comes out on the wrong end of an exchange of bullets (to his surprise, given the amused expression of shock on his character’s face as he dies).
• In “Charlie’s Angels: Full Speed” (which was directed by McG and hit theaters in 2003), Patrick’s corrupt U.S. Marshal is impressed by Demi Moore’s former angel-turned-villain Madison Lee in the Griffith Park Observatory.

Lastly (and going around a bit), although John Cena is not yet an iconic action movie star, it is worth noting that Patrick’s White Dragon is eliminated by a bullet to the head fired by his own son, the character Cena’s main character, in “Pacifier.” That’s a magnificent big screen dying from Mr. Patrick, and we thank the former and future T-1000 for his lighting service.