Michael Biehn

Acting · 2.7 popularity

Age

Movies

101

Born: July 31, 1956
From: Anniston, Alabama, USA

Biography

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.

Works

101 films

The Terminator

19847.7

Aliens

19868.0

Predator: Killer of Killers

20257.8

The Rock

19967.2

Grease

19787.4

The Abyss

19897.4

Tombstone

19937.6

Planet Terror

20076.7

The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power

20155.1

Grindhouse

20077.0

The Art of War

20005.7

Havoc

20055.3

The Divide

20125.9

Onslaught

2026

Clockstoppers

20025.3

Navy Seals

19905.4

Timebomb

19915.2

Take Me Home Tonight

20116.0

19915.7

Puncture

20116.7

The Seventh Sign

19886.0

Jade

19955.5

Cherry Falls

20005.4

From Darkness

2011

Stiletto

20084.7

Sushi Girl

20125.5

The Alien Saga

20026.3

The Lockdown

20245.9

Deadfall

19934.1

Dragon Squad

20055.8

Bereavement

20105.3

The Insatiable

20064.8

The Shadow Effect

20175.0

Streets of Blood

20094.3

The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian

19845.0

#NoJoke

20196.2

They Wait

20075.3

Megiddo: The Omega Code 2

20014.6

Blood of the Hunter

19958.0

The Fan

19815.9

Mojave Moon

19964.9

The Making of 'Tombstone'

20026.7

Susan's Plan

19984.8

Dead Men Can't Dance

19973.9

The Girl

20143.7

The Lords of Discipline

19836.6

A Fire in the Sky

19785.8

Rampage

19876.0

Asteroid

19975.7

Red Handed

20204.5

Aliens Expanded

20248.9

Tapped Out

20145.6

Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'

20037.8

Silver Wolf

19996.4

Borderline

20025.2

Chain of Command

20005.4

Strapped

19935.9

The Legend of DarkHorse County

2014

The Ride

19976.7

American Dragons

19985.0

Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator'

20015.9

The Victim

20114.7

Psych:9

20104.7

The Legend of Butch & Sundance

20067.0

Deep Red

19944.2

Coach

19783.5

Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss'

19938.2

Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens'

20037.5

The Kellys

2026

Rippy

20244.8

Treachery

20134.2

Hidden in the Woods

20144.6

Zuma Beach

19785.3

T2: More Than Meets the Eye

19936.8

Yellow Rock

20115.5

A Taste for Killing

19925.4

Alien Evolution

20015.9

Breach of Trust

19954.9

The Paradise Connection

19798.0

Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business

20203.0

The Making of the Terminator

19858.0

The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story

20164.8

In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King

19954.5

China Rose

19837.5

Hog Wild

19803.7

The Blood Bond

20102.3

Spin

20075.2

Deadly Intentions

19856.5

The Night Visitor

20155.0

Conundrum

19965.9

In a Shallow Grave

19884.8

Saving Grace B. Jones

20095.4

James at 15

19777.0

Killer Weekend

20204.6

Jacob

20114.1

She Rises

20177.0

No Prince for My Cinderella

1978

The Dark Forest

2026

Among Friends

20124.3

Die Nacht aus Blei

19858.5

Terminator: Hunter Killer

20218.5