Michael Biehn
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 31, 1956
- Birthplace
- Anniston, Alabama, USA
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
- The Kellys
The Kellys TBA
Actor
- The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest TBA
as Peter
Onslaught 2026
as Baylor
Predator: Killer of Killers 2025
as Vandy (voice)
Rippy 2024
as Uncle Schmitty
The Lockdown 2024
as Max Hightower
Aliens Expanded 2024
as Self
Red Handed 2020
as Reynolds
Killer Weekend 2020
as Dr. Carol, Executive Producer
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business 2020
as Self
#NoJoke 2019
as Self
Altered Perception 2018
Executive Producer
She Rises 2017
as Daddy Longlegs, Executive Producer
Fetish Factory 2017
Executive Producer
The Shadow Effect 2017
as Sheriff Hodge
Psychophonia 2016
Executive Producer
The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story 2016
as Agent Walker
The Night Visitor 2015
as Agent Walker, Executive Producer
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power 2015
as King Yannick
Hidden in the Woods 2014
as Oscar Crocker, Producer
The Girl 2014
as Father, Executive Producer
Mindless 2014
Executive Producer
Tapped Out 2014
as Reggie
The Legend of DarkHorse County 2014
as Future Jon Ford
Treachery 2013
as Henry
Sushi Girl 2012
as Mike
Among Friends 2012
as Actor in hallucination scene
The Divide 2012
as Mickey
From Darkness 2011
as Agent Doug Albright
Yellow Rock 2011
as Tom Hanner
Jacob 2011
as Lawrence Kell
Puncture 2011
as Red
The Victim 2011
as Kyle, Director, Screenplay
Take Me Home Tonight 2011
as Bill Franklin
Bereavement 2010
as Jonathan Miller
The Blood Bond 2010
as John Tremayne, Director, Screenplay
Psych:9 2010
as Det. Marling
Streets of Blood 2009
as Agent Brown
Saving Grace B. Jones 2009
as Landy Bretthorst
Stiletto 2008
as Lee
They Wait 2007
as O'Connell
Grindhouse 2007
as Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
Planet Terror 2007
as Sheriff Hague
Spin 2007
as Tony Russo
The Insatiable 2006
as Strickland
The Legend of Butch & Sundance 2006
as Mike Cassidy
Dragon Squad 2005
as Petros Angelo
Havoc 2005
as Stuart Lang
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' 2003
as Self
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens' 2003
as Self
Borderline 2002
as Det. Macy Kobacek
The Alien Saga 2002
as Self
Clockstoppers 2002
as Henry Gates
The Making of 'Tombstone' 2002
as Self
Alien Evolution 2001
as Self / 'Cpl. Dwayne Hicks'
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 2001
as David Alexander
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator' 2001
as Self
The Art of War 2000
as Robert Bly
Cherry Falls 2000
as Sherrif Brent Marken
Chain of Command 2000
as Craig Thornton
Silver Wolf 1999
as Roy McLean
Susan's Plan 1998
as Bill
American Dragons 1998
as Detective Tony Luca
The Ride 1997
as Smokey Banks
Dead Men Can't Dance 1997
as Robert Hart
Asteroid 1997
as FEMA Director Jack Wallach
Mojave Moon 1996
as Boyd
The Rock 1996
as Commander Charles Anderson
Conundrum 1996
as Det. Stash Horvak
Jade 1995
as Bob Hargrove
Blood of the Hunter 1995
as Philip Thorton / Blake
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King 1995
as Jackie Ryan
Breach of Trust 1995
as Casey Woods
Deep Red 1994
as Joe Keyes
Tombstone 1993
as Johnny Ringo
Deadfall 1993
as Joe Donan
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' 1993
as Self
Strapped 1993
as Matthew McRae
T2: More Than Meets the Eye 1993
as Self
A Taste for Killing 1992
as Bo Landry
The Making of 'Alien³' 1992
as Self
K2 1991
as Taylor Brooks
Timebomb 1991
as Eddy Kay / Oliver Dykstra
Navy Seals 1990
as Lt. James Curran
The Abyss 1989
as Lieutenant Hiram Coffey
In a Shallow Grave 1988
as Garnet Montrose
The Seventh Sign 1988
as Russell Quinn
Martini Ranch: Reach 1988
Thanks
Rampage 1987
as Anthony Fraser
Aliens 1986
as Corporal Hicks
Deadly Intentions 1985
as Dr. Charles Raynor
The Making of the Terminator 1985
as Self
Die Nacht aus Blei 1985
as Eseleine
The Terminator 1984
as Kyle Reese
The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian 1984
as Sébastien
China Rose 1983
as Daniel Allen
The Lords of Discipline 1983
as John Alexander
The Fan 1981
as Douglas Breen
Hog Wild 1980
as Tim Warner
The Paradise Connection 1979
as Larry DeWitt
A Fire in the Sky 1978
as Tom Rearden
Zuma Beach 1978
as J.D.
Grease 1978
as Mike (uncredited)
No Prince for My Cinderella 1978
as Mark Johnson
Coach 1978
as Jack
James at 15 1977
as Tony
Credits from TMDB.