One of the key figures behind “The Terminator” and its sequel “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” has died at the age of 71. William Wisher Jr. collaborated with director and filmmaker James Cameron on the first two films in the science fiction series in addition to working on scripts for a number of other projects.
His family revealed this week that he had passed away in a statement provided to Rolling Stone, although it gave no details about the cause of death.
‘The Terminator’ and ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ Writer Died Age 71
In the family statement, his relatives confirmed that the scriptwriter had “passed away peacefully at home.” They continued, “William believed that stories have the power to connect people across generations.”
The statement continues, “While the world celebrates the unforgettable films he helped create, we will remember him for his kindness, his humor, his brilliant imagination, and the love he gave so freely to his family and friends. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time.”
In an interview with V13 in 2017, Wisher explained how his role on “The Terminator” came about. He revealed that he was credited as one of the writers but did work on the dialogue for the film.
“I helped Jim with Terminator one,” he said. “He had written a treatment and asked me to flesh out some of the scenes and I did that. I really wanted to be an actor, that was kind of how we met before I started transitioning into writing.”
When Cameron secured the rights and funding to work on the sequel, he approached Wisher and the pair wrote the script for “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” in just six weeks.
Wisher subsequently worked on a number of other films as a screenwriter. These include the 1995 Sylvester Stallone-led sci-fi action film “Judge Dredd” and two horror films in the form of “Exorcist: The Beginning” and “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.” As a producer and script doctor, he has also contributed to “Die Hard: With a Vengeance,” “Die Hard 4.0,” “Mercury Rising,” and “The 13th Warrior.”
Sigourney Weaver Stuck Up For Young Castmate to James Cameron
Another longtime collaborator of Cameron is actress Sigroueny Weaver. The Hollywood star has worked with the director several times throughout her career, most notably on “Aliens” where she portrayed Ellen Ripley and Dr. Grace Augustine in the “Avatar” franchise.
Weaver recently revealed that she stuck up for a young actor on set when she felt Cameron was being too demanding.
The incident in question saw the somewhat inexperienced Cameron lose his temper with the young actress as she struggled to work some of the props used on the set.
She said, “I sort of trundled up to him and I said, ‘You know, when you yell at an actor, you yell at all of us, so understand that what she was doing actually was very hard. Maybe shoot something else while she gets used to doing this stuff the way you want it.'”
However, Weaver went on to say that Cameron was stressed with the troubled production of the film and has since become more relaxed while shooting.
“He’s a good guy. I really do think Jim has mellowed,” she explained. “He hadn’t been like that directing. He was wildly funny, witty. I can understand why that guy couldn’t come out during ‘Aliens,’ because that was a tough shoot, especially for him. Let’s put it this way: I’m glad I wasn’t shooting ‘The Abyss’ with him.”
