The original Sarah Connor has turned 52 today. Salisbury, Maryland born Linda Hamilton is best known for her starring roles in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and more importantly, in the TERMINATOR franchise. She played mother-of-the-future Sarah Connor in the 1984 sleeper hit "The Terminator," and later reprised the role for one of the biggest science-fiction blockbusters of all time: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. While she originated the role in the first film, she really made the character her own in the sequel. It is rare when a sequel actually supercedes the original in quality, but Terminator is one of those rare examples. Linda gracefully backed down from reprising the role once more for T3 since long-time film companion (and at one time, husband) James Cameron wasn't the man behind the helm of that production. Currently, the intriguing character of Sarah Connor is played by English actress Lena Headey in the amazing TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES on Fox.

But without Linda, Lena would never have even received this gig. In fact, without her, the franchise probably wouldn't even exist. Let's face it... we all love Arnie and know he's the star of the show (at least in the films), but without the human element... it's just an action flick. What gives it its cult status is its brilliant mix of humanity and inhumanity. More importantly... we learn that the two do not exist separately, but rather can collide... and either cause problems... or create much-needed hope. Just something to chew on, folks. What do you think? Without Linda... would Terminator be as interesting and compelling? Would anybody care?

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Linda! You're truly one of the finest actresses to ever grace the screen. Your motto was right after all: there really is no fate but what we make.