It is amazing how one break can change your life. Prior to being cast in 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Robert Patrick was an unknown. Since his role in as the T-1000 cyborg sent back in time to kill John Connor, he has starred or been featured in over 100 films and TV shows.

"It was a life changing experience. I was an unknown actor living in a dive apartment in Hollywood when I got the chance to audition for the role. I beat out a lot of people for that part I guess. It was pretty amazing being an unknown until I signed. As the pressure started mounting I was just praying that I wasn’t going to choke. Once we did the work and it came out and people liked the movie I went from being an unknown to being a very famous character. The interesting thing is the character was actually more famous than I was. It helped the performance of the character, being an unknown, because no one had a pre-conceived notion of who I was. ...It was a lot of fun, I loved it and wouldn’t trade it for the world. What a cool character to come out in, your first movie brings you international attention."

On the phone during shooting of the new season of HBO’s True Blood, Patrick talked to GayCalgary Magazine about his career. Another actor who got his first big shot in T2 was Edward Furlong, who played Connor in the film. Personal issues halted Furlongs promising career, something that Patrick was able to overcome.

"When you walk into a movie completely unknown and walk out a movie star, I am sure it was heavy stuff for Edward to deal with as a young man, it was heavy stuff for me to deal with as an adult. Drugs and alcohol are bad, there is no way to get around it. I don’t know anyone who has benefited from its abuse. It is something I battled with myself, it is a day by day struggle to make sure you keep your feet on the ground."

In 2000, Patrick joined The X-Files as John Doggett. Although not replacing David Duchovney’s character in the show, it was a unique challenge to step into a series that was so established and had such a hardcore fan base.

"Sure it is hard. People loved that show, I wasn’t there to replace anybody I was creating a new character and add license to the show and keep it going. I thought we accomplished that, we got two more seasons out of it and I think those seasons went well. Most X-Files fans I meet seemed to enjoy what we did."

It will be the best of both worlds for fans at the expo, as Patrick will reunite with Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi and Cary Elwes from X-Files, as well as Linda Hamilton and stuntman Peter Kent from Terminator.

"I didn’t realize (the X-files cast) were going to be up there! Wow, damn. X-Files fans will be happy as well as Terminator fans huh? That’s cool man, I am looking forward to it. I love Gillian and enjoyed the few years I got to work with her. She is an amazing actress and a beautiful woman. I don’t really care if I run into Mitch Pileggi. Nah just kidding. Mitch is a great guy. The last time Linda and I saw each other a couple years ago, I love her. I’ve always had a crush on Linda Hamilton. It will be great to see her. Any time I can see her is great. I am looking forward to seeing everyone."

Patrick has portrayed real people including Elvis, Elvis’ father Vernon and Johnny Cash’s father Ray. It is a different challenge to portray someone who actually existed as opposed to creating a fictional character.

"People who knew the characters will watch it and go, awh that is nothing like who he was. I just try and find the essence of who the guy is and work that out in the script dynamic that has been created that you have to fulfill. You have to put yourself into that mindset. I play Linda Lovelace’s father in a movie that is coming out this year. You try and get into what the guy was like: he was in the army and was a NYC cop. I know a lot of cops and soldiers and have played them, it gives you some foundation to base off of. Playing Elvis’ dad, I love Vernon I’ve been to Graceland I don’t know how many times. I just look for the emotional [aspect], what it must have been like to have a son that was Elvis Presley, the biggest superstar we’ve ever had, and what that must have been like, and relate to that."

While speaking with GayCalgary Magazine, Robert was ecstatic that his current film Identity Theft was topping the box office. Patrick plays a skip chaser in the film.

"It was a wonderful film to be a part of. I am a big fan of director Seth Gordon and friends with Jason Bateman. Melissa McCarthy is someone I was very excited about working with as well. She is an amazing talent and a great lady, it was a great experience."

Patrick also played Master Chief Joseph Prosser in the short lived ABC show The Last Resort. Having a show canceled is just part of the business.

"I don’t get too emotionally involved. I’ve been doing this almost 30 years, any time you go and do a project you get tight and are a family but when it is over you all get a divorce and move on to what’s next. You have to approach it that way. Personally I have been more invested in some other things, I love the character I played in Gangster Squad, Max Kennard is my favourite character I’ve played and I am very proud of that performance."

Patrick played Jackson Herveaux for a few episodes of last season’s True Blood and will return to the show for the full season starting this summer.

"It is a fun show and I really like all the cast that I work with. It is a lot of crazy characters and I am interested to see where it will go, I am not sure what will happen next with my guy. I have fun working with Joe [Manganiello] and I think the writing is good. I was really thrilled when they offered me to come on when it was apparent that Last Resort was going to be canceled.  They asked me to do a full season of True Blood right away. "

It is a great time to be an actor, as Patrick can switch between TV and film with ease.

"I did The Sopranos and was looking for great writing and wanted to go into TV. The business has changed a lot for actors who can do both TV and film. Some of the best writing right now is in TV. Hollywood is evolving and you have to change with it. I was part of that change in the 1990’s when film actors started looking at TV.  It started with The Sopranos and then I met Chris Carter who asked me to do X-Files. From there I worked with David Mamet and John Ryan and created The Unit. That was fantastic, we had 4 years on there.  I’ve tried to do a little bit of TV work here and there with good writing and that lead me to HBO and I did a couple of episodes of True Blood last year and am back doing that show now. Shawn Ryan was a creator in The Unit and was doing The Last Resort. It was a chance to work with a buddy of mine and I thought it was a great show as well. TV is changing, I find that a lot of the great writing now is not just TV but cable TV. There are a lot more opportunity for actors out there to get involved with. Movie production has slowed down a bit and independent films are getting more scarce - because of the economy it is hard to find money. As an actor you’ve got to jump around and do whatever you can to find the best projects to be involved in. Jobs come and go, people get laid off, life ain’t easy man. You gotta keep one foot in front of the other and keep plugging along."