Michael Biehn
Acting
Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor whose work in 1980s and 1990s genre cinema helped define the modern action and science-fiction lead. He is most closely associated with James Cameron’s films, where he repeatedly embodied hardened, battle-tested characters grounded in realism rather than spectacle, most famously Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984), Corporal Hicks in Aliens (1986), and Lieutenant Coffey in The Abyss (1989). Those performances became blueprints for the emotionally restrained, competent action hero and continue to influence how military and sci-fi protagonists are written and played. Beyond his Cameron collaborations, Biehn appeared in a run of cult and mainstream genre staples, including Navy SEALs (1990), Tombstone (1993), and The Rock (1996), often bringing a grounded intensity that contrasted with larger-than-life co-stars. His portrayal of Johnny Ringo in Tombstone is frequently cited as one of the era’s most memorable villains, defined by menace, precision, and restraint rather than excess. His cult status was later reinforced during the Tarantino–Rodriguez Grindhouse era with his appearance in Planet Terror (2007), part of the double-feature project released alongside Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, linking Biehn’s legacy to modern exploitation-inspired genre cinema. That legacy carried into modern franchise television with his appearance as Lang in The Mandalorian (2020), reinforcing his enduring connection to science fiction and action storytelling across generations. Biehn’s work has earned long-standing respect among filmmakers, actors, and genre fans, with his performance in Aliens earning a Saturn Award nomination and his overall body of work achieving lasting cult recognition. While never positioned as a traditional blockbuster star, his influence spans decades of science fiction, action, westerns, and modern franchise storytelling.
Onslaught
Predator: Killer of Killers
Vandy (voice)
Rippy
Uncle Schmitty
The Lockdown
Max Hightower
Aliens Expanded
Self
Terminator: Hunter Killer
Kyle Reese (voice) (archive footage)
Red Handed
Reynolds
Killer Weekend
Dr. Carol
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business
Self
#NoJoke
Self
She Rises
Daddy Longlegs
The Shadow Effect
Sheriff Hodge
The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story
Agent Walker
The Night Visitor
Agent Walker
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power
King Yannick
Hidden in the Woods
Oscar Crocker
The Girl
Father
Tapped Out
Reggie
The Legend of DarkHorse County
Future Jon Ford
Treachery
Henry
Sushi Girl
Mike
Among Friends
Actor in hallucination scene
The Divide
Mickey
From Darkness
Agent Doug Albright
Yellow Rock
Tom Hanner
Jacob
Lawrence Kell
Puncture
Red
The Victim
Kyle
Take Me Home Tonight
Bill Franklin
Bereavement
Jonathan Miller
The Blood Bond
John Tremayne
Psych:9
Det. Marling
Streets of Blood
Agent Brown
Saving Grace B. Jones
Landy Bretthorst
Stiletto
Lee
They Wait
O'Connell
Grindhouse
Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
Planet Terror
Sheriff Hague
Spin
Tony Russo
The Insatiable
Strickland
The Legend of Butch & Sundance
Mike Cassidy
Dragon Squad
Petros Angelo
Havoc
Stuart Lang
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'
Self
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens'
Self
Borderline
Det. Macy Kobacek
The Alien Saga
Self
Clockstoppers
Henry Gates
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Self
Alien Evolution
Self / 'Cpl. Dwayne Hicks'
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
David Alexander
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator'
Self
The Art of War
Robert Bly
Cherry Falls
Sherrif Brent Marken
Chain of Command
Craig Thornton
Silver Wolf
Roy McLean
Susan's Plan
Bill
American Dragons
Detective Tony Luca
The Ride
Smokey Banks
Dead Men Can't Dance
Robert Hart
Asteroid
FEMA Director Jack Wallach
Mojave Moon
Boyd
The Rock
Commander Charles Anderson
Conundrum
Det. Stash Horvak
Jade
Bob Hargrove
Blood of the Hunter
Philip Thorton / Blake
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
Jackie Ryan
Breach of Trust
Casey Woods
Deep Red
Joe Keyes
Tombstone
Johnny Ringo
Deadfall
Joe Donan
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss'
Self
Strapped
Matthew McRae
T2: More Than Meets the Eye
Self
A Taste for Killing
Bo Landry
K2
Taylor Brooks
Timebomb
Eddy Kay / Oliver Dykstra
Navy Seals
Lt. James Curran
The Abyss
Lieutenant Hiram Coffey
In a Shallow Grave
Garnet Montrose
The Seventh Sign
Russell Quinn
Rampage
Anthony Fraser
Aliens
Corporal Hicks
Deadly Intentions
Dr. Charles Raynor
The Making of the Terminator
Self
Die Nacht aus Blei
Eseleine
The Terminator
Kyle Reese
The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
Sébastien
China Rose
Daniel Allen
The Lords of Discipline
John Alexander
The Fan
Douglas Breen
Hog Wild
Tim Warner
The Paradise Connection
Larry DeWitt
A Fire in the Sky
Tom Rearden
Zuma Beach
J.D.
Grease
Mike (uncredited)
No Prince for My Cinderella
Mark Johnson
Coach
Jack
James at 15
Tony