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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000299
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q241510
Facebook: https://facebook.com/michaelbiehnofficial
Instagram: https://instagram.com/therealmichaelb
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Filmography (Movies)
Onslaught
Character:
Release Date:27/08/2026
Predator: Killer of Killers
Character:Vandy (voice)
Release Date:05/06/2025
Rippy
Character:Uncle Schmitty
Release Date:25/10/2024
The Lockdown
Character:Max Hightower
Release Date:16/08/2024
Aliens Expanded
Character:Self
Release Date:28/06/2024
Terminator: Hunter Killer
Character:Kyle Reese (voice) (archive footage)
Release Date:07/09/2021
Red Handed
Character:Reynolds
Release Date:04/11/2020
Killer Weekend
Character:Dr. Carol
Release Date:26/10/2020
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business
Character:Self
Release Date:26/03/2020
#NoJoke
Character:Self
Release Date:09/09/2019
She Rises
Character:Daddy Longlegs
Release Date:10/10/2017
The Shadow Effect
Character:Sheriff Hodge
Release Date:02/05/2017
The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story
Character:Agent Walker
Release Date:04/10/2016
The Night Visitor
Character:Agent Walker
Release Date:22/11/2015
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power
Character:King Yannick
Release Date:09/01/2015
Hidden in the Woods
Character:Oscar Crocker
Release Date:12/12/2014
The Girl
Character:Father
Release Date:03/11/2014
Tapped Out
Character:Reggie
Release Date:27/05/2014
The Legend of DarkHorse County
Character:Future Jon Ford
Release Date:04/04/2014
Treachery
Character:Henry
Release Date:16/05/2013
Sushi Girl
Character:Mike
Release Date:07/12/2012
Among Friends
Character:Actor in hallucination scene
Release Date:08/07/2012
The Divide
Character:Mickey
Release Date:13/01/2012
From Darkness
Character:Agent Doug Albright
Release Date:20/11/2011
Yellow Rock
Character:Tom Hanner
Release Date:01/11/2011
Jacob
Character:Lawrence Kell
Release Date:30/09/2011
Puncture
Character:Red
Release Date:23/09/2011
The Victim
Character:Kyle
Release Date:06/06/2011
Take Me Home Tonight
Character:Bill Franklin
Release Date:04/03/2011
Bereavement
Character:Jonathan Miller
Release Date:16/07/2010
The Blood Bond
Character:John Tremayne
Release Date:13/05/2010
Psych:9
Character:Det. Marling
Release Date:07/05/2010
Streets of Blood
Character:Agent Brown
Release Date:22/05/2009
Saving Grace B. Jones
Character:Landy Bretthorst
Release Date:28/03/2009
Stiletto
Character:Lee
Release Date:29/04/2008
They Wait
Character:O'Connell
Release Date:06/09/2007
Planet Terror
Character:Sheriff Hague
Release Date:06/04/2007
Grindhouse
Character:Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
Release Date:06/04/2007
Spin
Character:Tony Russo
Release Date:26/01/2007
The Insatiable
Character:Strickland
Release Date:01/11/2006
The Legend of Butch & Sundance
Character:Mike Cassidy
Release Date:19/09/2006
Dragon Squad
Character:Petros Angelo
Release Date:10/11/2005
Havoc
Character:Stuart Lang
Release Date:16/10/2005
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens'
Character:Self
Release Date:02/12/2003
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'
Character:Self
Release Date:02/12/2003
Borderline
Character:Det. Macy Kobacek
Release Date:15/11/2002
The Alien Saga
Character:Self
Release Date:13/11/2002
Clockstoppers
Character:Henry Gates
Release Date:29/03/2002
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2002
Alien Evolution
Character:Self / 'Cpl. Dwayne Hicks'
Release Date:12/10/2001
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
Character:David Alexander
Release Date:07/09/2001
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator'
Character:Self
Release Date:19/03/2001
Cherry Falls
Character:Sherrif Brent Marken
Release Date:25/08/2000
The Art of War
Character:Robert Bly
Release Date:25/08/2000
Chain of Command
Character:Craig Thornton
Release Date:22/07/2000
Silver Wolf
Character:Roy McLean
Release Date:10/01/1999
Susan's Plan
Character:Bill
Release Date:29/10/1998
American Dragons
Character:Detective Tony Luca
Release Date:15/10/1998
The Ride
Character:Smokey Banks
Release Date:14/10/1997
Dead Men Can't Dance
Character:Robert Hart
Release Date:17/04/1997
Asteroid
Character:FEMA Director Jack Wallach
Release Date:16/02/1997
Mojave Moon
Character:Boyd
Release Date:15/11/1996
The Rock
Character:Commander Charles Anderson
Release Date:07/06/1996
Conundrum
Character:Det. Stash Horvak
Release Date:03/03/1996
Jade
Character:Bob Hargrove
Release Date:13/10/1995
Blood of the Hunter
Character:Philip Thorton / Blake
Release Date:25/07/1995
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
Character:Jackie Ryan
Release Date:01/03/1995
Breach of Trust
Character:Casey Woods
Release Date:01/01/1995
Deep Red
Character:Joe Keyes
Release Date:12/03/1994
Tombstone
Character:Johnny Ringo
Release Date:25/12/1993
Deadfall
Character:Joe Donan
Release Date:08/10/1993
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss'
Character:Self
Release Date:01/09/1993
Strapped
Character:Matthew McRae
Release Date:21/08/1993
T2: More Than Meets the Eye
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1993
A Taste for Killing
Character:Bo Landry
Release Date:12/08/1992
K2
Character:Taylor Brooks
Release Date:10/10/1991
Timebomb
Character:Eddy Kay / Oliver Dykstra
Release Date:25/05/1991
Navy Seals
Character:Lt. James Curran
Release Date:20/07/1990
The Abyss
Character:Lieutenant Hiram Coffey
Release Date:09/08/1989
In a Shallow Grave
Character:Garnet Montrose
Release Date:06/05/1988
The Seventh Sign
Character:Russell Quinn
Release Date:01/04/1988
Rampage
Character:Anthony Fraser
Release Date:01/09/1987
Aliens
Character:Corporal Hicks
Release Date:18/07/1986
Deadly Intentions
Character:Dr. Charles Raynor
Release Date:19/05/1985
Die Nacht aus Blei
Character:Eseleine
Release Date:01/01/1985
The Making of the Terminator
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1985
The Terminator
Character:Kyle Reese
Release Date:26/10/1984
The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
Character:Sébastien
Release Date:12/02/1984
China Rose
Character:Daniel Allen
Release Date:08/10/1983
The Lords of Discipline
Character:John Alexander
Release Date:18/02/1983
The Fan
Character:Douglas Breen
Release Date:15/05/1981
Hog Wild
Character:Tim Warner
Release Date:01/06/1980
The Paradise Connection
Character:Larry DeWitt
Release Date:15/09/1979
A Fire in the Sky
Character:Tom Rearden
Release Date:26/11/1978
Zuma Beach
Character:J.D.
Release Date:27/09/1978
Grease
Character:Mike (uncredited)
Release Date:16/06/1978
No Prince for My Cinderella
Character:Mark Johnson
Release Date:27/04/1978
Coach
Character:Jack
Release Date:17/03/1978
James at 15
Character:Tony
Release Date:05/09/1977
Television Appearances
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Character:David Carver
The Mandalorian
Character:Lang
Metal Hurlant Chronicles
Character:Shérif Biehn
The Walking Dead
Character:Ian
Dark Blue
Character:Lt. Jay Frye
Criminal Minds
Character:Detective Ron Fullwood
Hawaii
Character:Sean Harrison
Adventure Inc.
Character:Judson Cross
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Character:Leland Dockerty
The Magnificent Seven
Character:Chris Larabee
Asteroid
Character:Jack Wallach
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Character:
Hill Street Blues
Character:
The Runaways
Character:Mark Johnson
Logan's Run
Character:Sandman
Family
Character:Jake
ABC Afterschool Special
Character:Seth
Images
