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| Real Name: Michael Connell Biehn | ||||
| Birthday: July 31, 1956 | ||||
| Place of Birth: Anniston, Alabama - USA | ||||
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Michael Biehn Biography and Filmography: With a lead role in “The Terminator” and notable roles in “Aliens,” and “The Abyss,” the coarse Michael Biehn created out of a faithful following of science fiction and action adventure film audiences, specially in those movies directed by his good friend, James Cameron. Always turning in highly believable performances as soldiers, cops or other men of action, he played Navy SEALS in three movies, Michael Biehn regularly stole the scenes he was in, either with an inspiring speech or cunning remarks to ranking officials. The fact that he was gorgeous in a Hollywood, movie matinee idol way, was not lost on the female fans either. Although he never reached A-list status, he remained a staple of genre movies, often turning up as authority figures, playing sheriffs in both the alternative horror films “Cherry Falls” and in the movie, “Grindhouse,” from filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.
Biehn went on to land small roles in episodes of “The Runaways” (NBC, 1978-79), the much-admired drama, “Family” (ABC, 1976-1980) and a 1979 episode of “The ABC After School Special” (ABC, 1972-1995) entitled, “The Big Secret.” He also had an appearance in the 1978 feature film “Grease,” playing a high school athlete hanging out in the background. It was his portrayal of an fanatical stalker of Lauren Bacall in the 1981 thriller “The Fan” that first gained Biehn some notoriety, as he exhibited the kind of passion that would pay off in his later projects. He followed that film with a supporting role in the 1983 drama, “The Lords of Discipline,” and a recurring role as Officer Randall Buttman on the revered police drama, “Hill Street Blues,” (NBC, 1981-87), during the show’s fifth season. But it was his role in the 1984 “The Terminator” that shot Biehn into stardom. Biehn auditioned for the role of Kyle Reese, a protector from the future, sent back in time to stop a deadly robot, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, from killing an guiltless woman, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who will give birth to a resistance leader intended to save mankind. Despite his leading role, Biehn never actually shared any scenes with Schwarzenegger, even though he was regularly asked about his co-star. The most vital relationship forged onset though, one which would make Biehn’s career, would be between the actor and his loyal director and friend James Cameron.
In what many thought to be his best role, Biehn teamed with Cameron for the director’s next project, “Aliens” with Sigourney Weaver (1986), playing futuristic hard ass, Corporal Dwayne Hicks. Managing to be both serious and skeptical at the same time, Biehn nearly stole the show. Biehn enjoyed his part so much that when his character was killed off at the beginning of the David Fincher directed third installment, “Alien 3,” the actor admitted to being saddened. Biehn’s next project was the 1988 horror adventure thriller, “The Seventh Sign”, a showcase for Demi Moore. Michael then appeared in a run of not-so-good movies such as “In a Shallow Grave” and “Rampage,” before again teaming with James Cameron, in his undersea action epic, 1989’s “The Abyss.” Along with Biehn, Cameron’s other group of go-to actors he had depended on to make his stories come alive included Bill Paxton (Pvt. Hudson in “Aliens;” Brock Lovett in “Titanic;” Simon in “True Lies”) and Jenette Goldstein (Pvt. Vasquez in “Aliens;” Janelle Voight in “T2: Judgment Day;” the Irish mommy in “Titanic”). Despite the fan base Biehn had developed with his tough guy roles throughout the eighties, by the early to mid nineties, Biehn’s star had faded. Michael just missed being cast in high profile roles that could have put him on track - he was in the running to play the title superhero and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, in “Batman” (1989), as well as was an early choice to play Peter Parker in "Spider-Man", when James Cameron was still attached to the superhero film, but lost out to Tobey Maguire. After again portraying his normal role of soldier in “Navy SEALS,” (1990), Biehn teamed again with James Cameron for sequels in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991), but his scenes were regrettably cut from the final movie. Biehn did manage to do well in the role of Johnny Ringo in the popular Wyatt Earp western, “Tombstone” working with Val Kilmer (1993). After another small role, in the detective thriller “Jade” (1995) it was his role as a soldier, in the Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery action adventure “The Rock” (1996) that was one of his last identifiable big screen hits for moviegoers. Playing a Navy SEAL for a third time, Biehn’s scorching speech to a group of United States military defectors was a the high point in the flick.
After performances in films such as “Art of War” with Wesley Snipes, about an operative for the United Nations' covert dirty-tricks squad, who uses espionage and quasi-ethical tactics to secure peace and cooperation (2000). Next was the sci-fi adventure “Clockstoppers” (2002), about a teenager who accidentally activates a machine that enables him to speed up his body so that other people seem to be standing still. And finally that year Biehn appeared in the independent film “Havoc” (2005) with Anne Hathaway about two affluent suburban girls who clash with the Latino gang culture of East LA. Michael Biehn also showed up on television, playing the part of a police commissioner on a 2006 episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC, 2001- ), and then as the lead role of Judson Cross in the Canadian movie, “Adventure, Inc.,” Biehn also appeared in episodes of the soap series, “Hawaii” (NBC, 2004). Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, next hired the actor to appear in their bloody B-movie piece, “Grindhouse” (2007). As the snickering Sheriff Hague, Biehn had roles in both the Robert Rodriguez film, “Planet Terror” (2007) a story that takes place after an experimental bio-weapon is released, turning thousands into zombie-like creatures, it's up to a rag-tag group of survivors to stop the infected and those behind its release. Next was a small role in the parody horror film “Thanksgiving”, directed by Eli Roth. Michael Biehn was then hired and cast in the horror thriller "The Wait" (2008), about a young mother and her six-year-old son who come face to face with the mysteries of two murders and a great crime against the Chinese community into which they have recently arrived from Shanghai. Michael started out the next year with the crime thriller "Stiletto" (2008) about the seemingly random killings of an assassin that puzzle her lover, a wealthy Greek crime boss whose organization is jeopardized by his love for her and the return of his ruthless criminal cohort, and the detective following her rising body count.
Moving to more family friendly projects, Biehn was cast in the role of a cop in ""Kids In America" (2008) with Topher Grace, that follows an aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. Next was a starring role in the strange crime thriller "Malevolence: Bereavement" (2008), about the horrific odyssey of an abducted 6 year old as he's forced to witness the brutal crimes of his tormentor and teacher Graham Sutter. Michael moved onto a more dramatic role in "Saving Grace" (2008) with Tatum O'Neal, set in a 1950s-era Missouri town about the life of a couple that is thrown into chaos when the husband's sister is released from the local asylum and comes to live with the family. Biehn rounded out the year 2008 with the historical thriller "Fire Bay" (2008) as the JFK White House and the CIA plan the black op invasion of Cuba, seven men are recruited into a "secret army" from the streets of Miami and join their Brigade's ferocious, heroic battles on the bloody beaches of Cuba.
Family
Education
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Biehn (pronounced “Bean”) was born on July 31, 1956, in Anniston, AL,
but grew up in Lincoln, NE before relocating at age 14 to Lake Havasu, AZ..
After graduating from high school, he enlisted at the University of Arizona
with a drama scholarship, but fled for Hollywood before finishing his degree.
Thanks to his good looks and a robust characteristic, Biehn had no trouble
landing a variety of television parts at the start of his career. One of his first appearances was in the pilot
episode of the science fiction series, “Logan’s Run,” (CBS, 1977-78), based on
the melodramatic movie of the same name. Biehn played the role of a
“Sandman”, part of a advanced police force tasked with rounding up
citizens for extermination when they reach the ripe old age of 30.
Biehn then played a town sheriff suffering a
moral predicament in the 2000 wacky horror film, “Cherry Falls.” Delivering
a average performance, Biehn played Sheriff Brent Marken,
in the perverted tale of a serial killer who targets only virgins, leaving
the neighborhood kids with only one way to save themselves. His role in “Cherry
Falls” was one of the first parts to make the most of Biehn and his role in
variety films of the
1980s.
