Michael Biehn
Acting • Born 1956-07-31
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.
Filmography
117 credits
The Terminator
Movie • 1984
Kyle Reese
Aliens
Movie • 1986
Corporal Hicks
Planet Terror
Movie • 2007
Sheriff Hague
The Abyss
Movie • 1989
Lieutenant Hiram Coffey
Terminator: Hunter Killer
Movie • 2021
Kyle Reese (voice) (archive footage)
The Seventh Sign
Movie • 1988
Russell Quinn
Mojave Moon
Movie • 1996
Boyd
K2
Movie • 1991
Taylor Brooks
Tombstone
Movie • 1993
Johnny Ringo
The Insatiable
Movie • 2006
Strickland
Strapped
Movie • 1993
Matthew McRae
Cherry Falls
Movie • 2000
Sherrif Brent Marken
The Rock
Movie • 1996
Commander Charles Anderson
Deadfall
Movie • 1993
Joe Donan
Asteroid
Movie • 1997
FEMA Director Jack Wallach
Sushi Girl
Movie • 2012
Mike
Clockstoppers
Movie • 2002
Henry Gates
Stiletto
Movie • 2008
Lee
The Victim
Movie • 2011
Kyle
Timebomb
Movie • 1991
Eddy Kay / Oliver Dykstra
The Divide
Movie • 2012
Mickey
They Wait
Movie • 2007
O'Connell
The Lords of Discipline
Movie • 1983
John Alexander
Dragon Squad
Movie • 2005
Petros Angelo
Take Me Home Tonight
Movie • 2011
Bill Franklin
Saving Grace B. Jones
Movie • 2009
Landy Bretthorst
Streets of Blood
Movie • 2009
Agent Brown
Borderline
Movie • 2002
Det. Macy Kobacek
Zuma Beach
Movie • 1978
J.D.
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens'
Movie • 2003
Self
Puncture
Movie • 2011
Red
Psych:9
Movie • 2010
Det. Marling
Susan's Plan
Movie • 1998
Bill
The Dark Forest
Movie
Peter
Dead Men Can't Dance
Movie • 1997
Robert Hart
The Blood Bond
Movie • 2010
John Tremayne
Bereavement
Movie • 2010
Jonathan Miller
The Fan
Movie • 1981
Douglas Breen
Spin
Movie • 2007
Tony Russo
Chain of Command
Movie • 2000
Craig Thornton
Silver Wolf
Movie • 1999
Roy McLean
Deep Red
Movie • 1994
Joe Keyes
American Dragons
Movie • 1998
Detective Tony Luca
No Prince for My Cinderella
Movie • 1978
Mark Johnson
Rampage
Movie • 1987
Anthony Fraser
Among Friends
Movie • 2012
Actor in hallucination scene
Yellow Rock
Movie • 2011
Tom Hanner
The Ride
Movie • 1997
Smokey Banks
Treachery
Movie • 2013
Henry
Hog Wild
Movie • 1980
Tim Warner
From Darkness
Movie • 2011
Agent Doug Albright
Jacob
Movie • 2011
Lawrence Kell
In a Shallow Grave
Movie • 1988
Garnet Montrose
Alien Evolution
Movie • 2001
Self / 'Cpl. Dwayne Hicks'
Die Nacht aus Blei
Movie • 1985
Eseleine
Tapped Out
Movie • 2014
Reggie
Hidden in the Woods
Movie • 2014
Oscar Crocker
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
Movie • 2001
David Alexander
Coach
Movie • 1978
Jack
Conundrum
Movie • 1996
Det. Stash Horvak
Grindhouse
Movie • 2007
Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power
Movie • 2015
King Yannick
Breach of Trust
Movie • 1995
Casey Woods
James at 15
Movie • 1977
Tony
Rippy
Movie • 2024
Uncle Schmitty
Jade
Movie • 1995
Bob Hargrove
China Rose
Movie • 1983
Daniel Allen
A Fire in the Sky
Movie • 1978
Tom Rearden
The Shadow Effect
Movie • 2017
Sheriff Hodge
The Girl
Movie • 2014
Father
The Art of War
Movie • 2000
Robert Bly
Aliens Expanded
Movie • 2024
Self
Deadly Intentions
Movie • 1985
Dr. Charles Raynor
The Alien Saga
Movie • 2002
Self
The Night Visitor
Movie • 2015
Agent Walker
Navy Seals
Movie • 1990
Lt. James Curran
The Lockdown
Movie • 2024
Max Hightower
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business
Movie • 2020
Self
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
Movie • 1995
Jackie Ryan
Havoc
Movie • 2005
Stuart Lang
The Legend of Butch & Sundance
Movie • 2006
Mike Cassidy
The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
Movie • 1984
Sébastien
The Legend of DarkHorse County
Movie • 2014
Future Jon Ford
She Rises
Movie • 2017
Daddy Longlegs
Blood of the Hunter
Movie • 1995
Philip Thorton / Blake
A Taste for Killing
Movie • 1992
Bo Landry
Grease
Movie • 1978
Mike (uncredited)
The Making of the Terminator
Movie • 1985
Self
The Paradise Connection
Movie • 1979
Larry DeWitt
#NoJoke
Movie • 2019
Self
Red Handed
Movie • 2020
Reynolds
Killer Weekend
Movie • 2020
Dr. Carol
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss'
Movie • 1993
Self
The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story
Movie • 2016
Agent Walker
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'
Movie • 2003
Self
T2: More Than Meets the Eye
Movie • 1993
Self
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator'
Movie • 2001
Self
Onslaught
Movie • 2026
Predator: Killer of Killers
Movie • 2025
Vandy (voice)
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Movie • 2002
Self
Hawaii
TV • 2004
Sean Harrison
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Hill Street Blues
TV • 1981
Criminal Minds
TV • 2005
Detective Ron Fullwood
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV • 2001
Leland Dockerty
Asteroid
TV • 1997
Jack Wallach
The Magnificent Seven
TV • 1998
Chris Larabee
Dark Blue
TV • 2009
Lt. Jay Frye
Adventure Inc.
TV • 2002
Judson Cross
The Runaways
TV • 1978
Mark Johnson
ABC Afterschool Special
TV • 1972
Seth
Logan's Run
TV • 1977
Sandman
Metal Hurlant Chronicles
TV • 2012
Shérif Biehn
Family
TV • 1976
Jake
The Walking Dead
TV • 2010
Ian
Law & Order: Organized Crime
TV • 2021
David Carver
The Mandalorian
TV • 2019
Lang