Edward Walter Furlong, a talented individual, was born in Glendale, California. His mother, Eleanor (Tafoya),hails from a Mexican family and worked at a youth center. Initially, Furlong had no aspirations to pursue an acting career until he was discovered by renowned casting agent Mali Finn. Finn, who was on the lookout for a young actor to play the iconic role of John Connor in the highly acclaimed film Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991),was impressed by Furlong's abilities and felt he could hold his own alongside Hollywood legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton.
Furlong's breakout role earned him an MTV movie award for best breakthrough role and a Saturn Sci-Fi award for best young actor. He then embarked on an unconventional journey through the Hollywood film industry, working with some of the most prominent figures in the business, both in studio and independent productions. His impressive resume includes starring roles opposite esteemed actors such as Jeff Bridges in American Heart (1992),for which he received a nomination for an IFP Spirit award for best supporting actor. He has also appeared in A Home of Our Own (1993) alongside Kathy Bates, Little Odessa (1994) with Tim Roth, The Grass Harp (1995) with Walter Matthau, and Barbet Schroeder's Before and After (1996).
Furlong's impressive filmography also includes starring roles in Tony Kaye's gripping drama American History X (1998) opposite Edward Norton and the hit comedy Pecker (1998). More recently, he has appeared in the prison drama Animal Factory (2000) alongside Willem Dafoe, directed by Steve Buscemi, and in Pupi Avati's 13th-century tale, The Knights of the Quest (2001).
