Michael Biehn
Photoplayd Industry Rating
Not enough rated films yet to compute a weighted score.
Roles are weighted by involvement: director 1.0, screenwriter 0.7, lead 0.8, supporting 0.4, crew 0.1.
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.
Known for
Credits
The Terminator (1984)
as Kyle Reese
Aliens (1986)
as Corporal Hicks
The Rock (1996)
as Commander Charles Anderson
Grease (1978)
as Mike (uncredited)
Tombstone (1993)
as Johnny Ringo
The Abyss (1989)
as Lieutenant Hiram Coffey
Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
as Vandy (voice)
Planet Terror (2007)
as Sheriff Hague
Onslaught (2026)
as Baylor
Grindhouse (2007)
as Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
The Seventh Sign (1988)
as Russell Quinn
The Art of War (2000)
as Robert Bly
Havoc (2005)
as Stuart Lang
The Divide (2012)
as Mickey
Take Me Home Tonight (2011)
as Bill Franklin
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015)
as King Yannick
K2 (1991)
as Taylor Brooks
Sushi Girl (2012)
as Mike
Navy Seals (1990)
as Lt. James Curran
Puncture (2011)
as Red
Clockstoppers (2002)
as Henry Gates
Jade (1995)
as Bob Hargrove
Stiletto (2008)
as Lee
Streets of Blood (2009)
as Agent Brown
The Shadow Effect (2017)
as Sheriff Hodge
Cherry Falls (2000)
as Sherrif Brent Marken
Timebomb (1991)
as Eddy Kay / Oliver Dykstra
The Lockdown (2024)
as Max Hightower
They Wait (2007)
as O'Connell
The Insatiable (2006)
as Strickland
The Fan (1981)
as Douglas Breen
From Darkness (2011)
as Agent Doug Albright
Deadfall (1993)
as Joe Donan
The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian (1984)
as Sébastien
Dragon Squad (2005)
as Petros Angelo
Tapped Out (2014)
as Reggie
The Blood Bond (2010)
as John Tremayne
American Dragons (1998)
as Detective Tony Luca
#NoJoke (2019)
as Self
The Girl (2014)
as Father
Mojave Moon (1996)
as Boyd
Bereavement (2010)
as Jonathan Miller
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001)
as David Alexander
The Lords of Discipline (1983)
as John Alexander
Asteroid (1997)
as FEMA Director Jack Wallach
Susan's Plan (1998)
as Bill
Rampage (1987)
as Anthony Fraser
Red Handed (2020)
as Reynolds
Treachery (2013)
as Henry
The Victim (2011)
as Kyle
Strapped (1993)
as Matthew McRae
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens' (2003)
as Self
Rippy (2024)
as Uncle Schmitty
The Kellys (—)
Actor
The Ride (1997)
as Smokey Banks
Silver Wolf (1999)
as Roy McLean
Aliens Expanded (2024)
as Self
In a Shallow Grave (1988)
as Garnet Montrose
The Making of 'Tombstone' (2002)
as Self
Deep Red (1994)
as Joe Keyes
Saving Grace B. Jones (2009)
as Landy Bretthorst
Coach (1978)
as Jack
Psych:9 (2010)
as Det. Marling
Blood of the Hunter (1995)
as Philip Thorton / Blake
A Fire in the Sky (1978)
as Tom Rearden
China Rose (1983)
as Daniel Allen
Chain of Command (2000)
as Craig Thornton
Among Friends (2012)
as Actor in hallucination scene
Alien Evolution (2001)
as Self / 'Cpl. Dwayne Hicks'
Breach of Trust (1995)
as Casey Woods
Hog Wild (1980)
as Tim Warner
Dead Men Can't Dance (1997)
as Robert Hart
The Legend of DarkHorse County (2014)
as Future Jon Ford
Spin (2007)
as Tony Russo
Borderline (2002)
as Det. Macy Kobacek
Zuma Beach (1978)
as J.D.
The Alien Saga (2002)
as Self
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business (2020)
as Self
Jacob (2011)
as Lawrence Kell
Deadly Intentions (1985)
as Dr. Charles Raynor
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King (1995)
as Jackie Ryan
A Taste for Killing (1992)
as Bo Landry
The Legend of Butch & Sundance (2006)
as Mike Cassidy
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' (2003)
as Self
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator' (2001)
as Self
Hidden in the Woods (2014)
as Oscar Crocker
Yellow Rock (2011)
as Tom Hanner
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' (1993)
as Self
Conundrum (1996)
as Det. Stash Horvak
James at 15 (1977)
as Tony
Die Nacht aus Blei (1985)
as Eseleine
The Dark Forest (—)
as Peter
Killer Weekend (2020)
as Dr. Carol
She Rises (2017)
as Daddy Longlegs
The Night Visitor (2015)
as Agent Walker
The Making of the Terminator (1985)
as Self
The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story (2016)
as Agent Walker
The Paradise Connection (1979)
as Larry DeWitt
Terminator: Hunter Killer (2021)
as Kyle Reese (voice) (archive footage)
No Prince for My Cinderella (1978)
as Mark Johnson
T2: More Than Meets the Eye (1993)
as Self