Shirley Manson inspired by 'Sarah Connor'

Rex Features

New Sarah Connor Chronicles star Shirley Manson has revealed that she was inspired by Terminator 2's female heroine.

The Garbage singer-turned-actress told Sci Fi Wire that she found the Linda Hamilton version of Connor "so intense and powerful... I was young and disenfranchised and I wanted to be her. I wanted to be empowered. I wanted to kick ass. I wanted to push back against the people that I felt weren't treating me right. And so I identified with her more than anything".

Manson also revealed that she secured the acting role through her friend Josh Friedman, the man behind the Terminator spinoff.

"[He] said, 'Would you be interested in auditioning for the show?' and I said 'yeah'. I didn't really think it through, it was just sort of a trigger response because I was a big Terminator fan," she said.

The 'Stupid Girl' singer added: "I got the part before I really understood the full implications of what I'd gotten myself involved in."