The Ultimate Michael Biehn Quiz

Study Notes

The Career and Life of Actor Michael Biehn

Michael Biehn is an American actor known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron, including The Terminator, Aliens, and The Abyss.
He was born in Anniston, Alabama, and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He attended the drama program at the University of Arizona before moving to Hollywood.
Biehn's first movie role was a bit part in the film version of Grease in 1978. He went on to play Douglas Breen, a stalker, in the 1981 film The Fan.
Biehn played Sgt. Kyle Reese in The Terminator, a soldier sent back in time to save Sarah Connor. He also starred in Aliens as Corporal Hicks and The Abyss as Lieutenant Hiram Coffey.
Biehn was considered for the role of the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day but the role went to Robert Patrick. He did reprise his role as Reese in a scene cut from the final film but restored for the Director's Cut version.
In Alien 3, Biehn's character Hicks was initially planned to become the protagonist, but the final script had Hicks killed off in the opening scene. Biehn demanded and received almost as much money for the use of his likeness in one scene as he had been paid for his role in Aliens.
Biehn played Johnny Ringo in Tombstone, including the famous showdown scene with Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday.
Biehn has taken on acting roles in big budget films like The Art of War and Clockstoppers, as well as independent movies and TV series like The Magnificent Seven (1998-2000), Adventure Inc. (2002-2003), and Hawaii (2004).
He was considered for the role of Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's Avatar but Cameron felt his appearance in the film coupled with that of Weaver would remind people too much of Aliens.
Biehn directed the 2010 film The Blood Bond and wrote, directed, and starred in The Victim in 2011.
He is now married to actress Jennifer Blanc and they have one son, Dashiell King Biehn.
In 2020, Biehn was cast as the villain Lang in the second season of the Star Wars television series The Mandalorian and in 2022, he portrayed Ian in the eleventh season of the AMC horror series The Walking Dead.