Patrick was 31 when he took on the role that could and, if he hadn't been such a damned good actor, would have killed his career. Following in the footsteps of Arnie's iconic Terminator would have crippled most people, but Patrick reinvented the role, playing his T-1000 as a lithe, cold, dispassionate panther, in turn becoming something of an icon himself. Of course, his career never developed along the lines of The Governator (he's staying away from politics), but thanks to long-term roles on TV's The X-Files and, currently, The Unit, Patrick – now a grizzled, lined veteran - has long escaped the shadow of his liquid metal alter-ego.

PICTURED Robert Patrick as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day