Michael Biehn
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 31, 1956 (age 70)
- Birthplace
- 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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Dark Forest
Movie · as Peter
The Kellys
Movie
Onslaught
Movie · as Baylor
Predator: Killer of Killers
Movie · as Vandy (voice)
Rippy
Movie · as Uncle Schmitty
Aliens Expanded
Movie · as Self
The Lockdown
Movie · as Max Hightower
Law & Order: Organized Crime
TV · as David Carver · 1 ep
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business
Movie · as Self
Red Handed
Movie · as Reynolds
Killer Weekend
Movie · as Dr. Carol
#NoJoke
Movie · as Self
The Mandalorian
TV · as Lang · 1 ep
The Shadow Effect
Movie · as Sheriff Hodge
She Rises
Movie · as Daddy Longlegs
The Night Visitor 2: Heather's Story
Movie · as Agent Walker
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power
Movie · as King Yannick
The Night Visitor
Movie · as Agent Walker
Tapped Out
Movie · as Reggie
Hidden in the Woods
Movie · as Oscar Crocker
The Girl
Movie · as Father
The Legend of DarkHorse County
Movie · as Future Jon Ford
Treachery
Movie · as Henry
Sushi Girl
Movie · as Mike
The Divide
Movie · as Mickey
Among Friends
Movie · as Actor in hallucination scene
Metal Hurlant Chronicles
TV · as Shérif Biehn · 1 ep
The Victim
Movie · as Kyle
Take Me Home Tonight
Movie · as Bill Franklin
Puncture
Movie · as Red
Yellow Rock
Movie · as Tom Hanner
From Darkness
Movie · as Agent Doug Albright
Jacob
Movie · as Lawrence Kell
Psych:9
Movie · as Det. Marling
The Blood Bond
Movie · as John Tremayne
Bereavement
Movie · as Jonathan Miller
The Walking Dead
TV · as Ian · 1 ep
Saving Grace B. Jones
Movie · as Landy Bretthorst
Streets of Blood
Movie · as Agent Brown
Dark Blue
TV · as Lt. Jay Frye · 1 ep
Stiletto
Movie · as Lee
Planet Terror
Movie · as Sheriff Hague
They Wait
Movie · as O'Connell
Spin
Movie · as Tony Russo
Grindhouse
Movie · as Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
The Insatiable
Movie · as Strickland
The Legend of Butch & Sundance
Movie · as Mike Cassidy
Dragon Squad
Movie · as Petros Angelo
Havoc
Movie · as Stuart Lang
Criminal Minds
TV · as Detective Ron Fullwood · 1 ep
Hawaii
TV · as Sean Harrison · 8 eps
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens'
Movie · as Self
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'
Movie · as Self
Clockstoppers
Movie · as Henry Gates
Borderline
Movie · as Det. Macy Kobacek
The Alien Saga
Movie · as Self
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Movie · as Self
Adventure Inc.
TV · as Judson Cross · 22 eps
Alien Evolution
Movie · as Self / 'Cpl. Dwayne Hicks'
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
Movie · as David Alexander
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator'
Movie · as Self
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV · as Leland Dockerty · 1 ep
Cherry Falls
Movie · as Sherrif Brent Marken
Chain of Command
Movie · as Craig Thornton
The Art of War
Movie · as Robert Bly
Silver Wolf
Movie · as Roy McLean
Susan's Plan
Movie · as Bill
American Dragons
Movie · as Detective Tony Luca
The Magnificent Seven
TV · as Chris Larabee · 23 eps
Asteroid
Movie · as FEMA Director Jack Wallach
Dead Men Can't Dance
Movie · as Robert Hart
The Ride
Movie · as Smokey Banks
Asteroid
TV · as Jack Wallach · 2 eps
Mojave Moon
Movie · as Boyd
The Rock
Movie · as Commander Charles Anderson
Conundrum
Movie · as Det. Stash Horvak
Breach of Trust
Movie · as Casey Woods
Jade
Movie · as Bob Hargrove
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
Movie · as Jackie Ryan
Blood of the Hunter
Movie · as Philip Thorton / Blake
Deep Red
Movie · as Joe Keyes
Tombstone
Movie · as Johnny Ringo
Strapped
Movie · as Matthew McRae
Deadfall
Movie · as Joe Donan
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss'
Movie · as Self
T2: More Than Meets the Eye
Movie · as Self
A Taste for Killing
Movie · as Bo Landry
The Making of 'Alien³'
Movie · as Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV · 1 ep
K2
Movie · as Taylor Brooks
Timebomb
Movie · as Eddy Kay / Oliver Dykstra
Navy Seals
Movie · as Lt. James Curran
The Word
TV · 1 ep
The Abyss
Movie · as Lieutenant Hiram Coffey
The Seventh Sign
Movie · as Russell Quinn
In a Shallow Grave
Movie · as Garnet Montrose
Rampage
Movie · as Anthony Fraser
Aliens
Movie · as Corporal Hicks
Die Nacht aus Blei
Movie · as Eseleine
Deadly Intentions
Movie · as Dr. Charles Raynor
The Making of the Terminator
Movie · as Self
The Terminator
Movie · as Kyle Reese
The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
Movie · as Sébastien
The Lords of Discipline
Movie · as John Alexander
China Rose
Movie · as Daniel Allen
American Playhouse
TV · as Garnet Montrose · 1 ep
The Fan
Movie · as Douglas Breen
Hill Street Blues
TV · 3 eps
Hog Wild
Movie · as Tim Warner
The Paradise Connection
Movie · as Larry DeWitt
Zuma Beach
Movie · as J.D.
No Prince for My Cinderella
Movie · as Mark Johnson
Coach
Movie · as Jack
A Fire in the Sky
Movie · as Tom Rearden
Grease
Movie · as Mike (uncredited)
The Runaways
TV · as Mark Johnson · 17 eps
James at 15
Movie · as Tony
Logan's Run
TV · as Sandman · 1 ep
Family
TV · as Jake · 1 ep
ABC Afterschool Special
TV · as Seth · 1 ep