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Lance Henriksen

ACTOR · BORN 1940

Lance Henriksen

Born
5 May 1940, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Known for
Aliens (1986), AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004), Dead Man (1995), Hard Target (1993)

28 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Lance Henriksen (born 5 May 1940) is an actor best known for Aliens, AVP: Alien vs. Predator and Dead Man.

Lance Henriksen over the years

Lance Henriksen in 2006 (age 66)
2006 · age 66ian.mcrob from Barnsley, u.k., CC BY 2.0
Lance Henriksen in 2016 (age 76)
2016 · age 76Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC…
Lance Henriksen in 2025 (age 85)
2025 · age 85Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma, CC BY-SA 2.0

28 Interesting Facts About Lance Henriksen

Interesting Facts (8)

  1. #001

    Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton are the only two actors to have faced all three iconic movie monsters, the Terminator, the Alien and the Predator, a unique distinction in science fiction and action.

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  2. #002

    At seventeen, Lance Henriksen spent four and a half months in Miami's Dade County Jail as an accessory to a car theft and for fleeing during a police chase, a crime committed by a man who'd given him a lift while hitchhiking; in 1960 he also did a short stint in jail for vagrancy in Tucson, Arizona.

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  3. #003

    There was talk of Lance Henriksen returning as Detective Vukovich in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), having survived the first film but now in a wheelchair, but the idea was dropped and he didn't appear.

    Lance Henriksen — a scene
    Lance Henriksen: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma (Photos Vrac), CC BY-SA 2.0

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  4. #004

    Irish electronic band Machines of Love released a song called "Lance Henriksen"; its singer, P.A.L.A.S, says he's a huge fan of Henriksen's films and calls him "criminally underrated," a sign of the actor's cult status.

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  5. #005

    Besides battling deadly aliens in the Alien and Predator films, Lance Henriksen appeared in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), about much friendlier ones.

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  6. #006

    Lance Henriksen looks so much like actor Stephen McHattie that the two are often confused, and they even played twin brothers in the "Snow" episode of Beauty and the Beast (1987).

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  7. #007

    Lance Henriksen has inspired at least two franchise characters: James Cameron originally wrote the Terminator (1984) with him in mind, and Victor Salva created the Creeper of the Jeepers Creepers (2001) films with him in mind.

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  8. #008

    Lance Henriksen voiced Kerchak in Tarzan (1999), the producers feeling his deep, powerful voice was perfect for the character's size.

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Behind the Scenes (5)

  1. #009

    Lance Henriksen says he improvised his entire role in Stone Cold (1991), a film close to his heart because he still considers it one of his best performances.

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  2. #010

    While shooting Piranha II: The Spawning (1982) in Jamaica, Lance Henriksen did his own stunt, jumping 40 feet from a helicopter and breaking his hand; a crew member took him to a local hospital, but the sight of chickens pecking through a dumpster of bloody bandages made him refuse treatment, and he finished the shoot in severe pain.

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  3. #011

    Lance Henriksen has been involved in pottery for more than 40 years. This hobby nourishes his creative side and provides him with an artistic outlet beyond acting. Pottery holds an important place in his life and stands out as a way for him to rest and to produce.

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  4. #012

    Lance Henriksen began working with clay in 1960, before his acting career, and he continues to work in ceramic art today. In September 2017, he set up a website to exhibit his latest clay works and find homes for them. Henriksen believes that "there is still nothing as simple and beautiful as raw clay" and that "potters have the remaining spirit of nomads." This artistic pursuit reveals another side of his creativity and forms of expression.

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  5. #013

    Lance Henriksen is a big fan of Eminem's music. Eminem's music may be a source of inspiration for him.

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Characters & Cast (3)

  1. #014

    James Cameron first considered Lance Henriksen for the lead in The Terminator (1984), since the idea was a machine that could blend into a crowd and Henriksen's ordinary looks fit, even drawing concept art of him as the Terminator; when the concept changed and Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast, Henriksen played Detective Vukovich instead, and in Aliens (1986) Cameron cast him as the android Bishop.

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  2. #015

    As a young man, Lance Henriksen hitchhiked across the United States, meeting all kinds of people, experiences that later gave depth to his characters.

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  3. #016

    Lance Henriksen was considered for Commander William Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), but the part went to another actor.

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Career & Awards (7)

  1. #017

    Lance Henriksen dropped out of school and left home at just twelve, a hard start that forced him to stand on his own feet young.

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  2. #018

    Lance Henriksen is one of only four actors, with Charles Nelson Reilly, David Fredericks and Brittany Tiplady, to play the same character in both The X-Files (1993) and Millennium (1996), in his case Frank Black.

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  3. #019

    Lance Henriksen took up clay in 1960, before his acting career, and still works as a potter; in September 2017 he launched a website to show his newest pieces and find homes for them, believing "there is still nothing as simple and beautiful as raw clay" and that "potters have the remaining soul of nomads."

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  4. #020

    The role of Frank Black in Millennium (1996) was written specifically for Lance Henriksen, a turning point that cemented his success on TV.

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  5. #021

    Lance Henriksen has shot more than seven films in Romania.

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  6. #022

    Lance Henriksen lives in Santa Clarita, California, within easy reach of Hollywood.

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  7. #023

    Lance Henriksen was offered One Point O (2004) while walking through a hotel lobby in Romania, having just finished another film there.

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Life & Family (5)

  1. #024

    Lance Henriksen didn't learn to read until he was thirty, teaching himself from film scripts, a sign of his dedication to the craft.

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  2. #025

    Lance Henriksen had a hard childhood: by eight he had been through two orphanages, a boarding school and a foster home, experiences later reflected in the tough, complex characters he played.

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  3. #026

    Lance Henriksen served in the United States Navy, which helped shape his disciplined, resilient character and informed the soldiers and authority figures he later played.

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  4. #027

    Lance Henriksen's father was a merchant seaman nicknamed "Icewater" for his cool head and toughness.

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  5. #028

    Lance Henriksen has said the western The Big Sky (1952) was one of the biggest reasons he got into film as a young man.

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Related pages

  • Spider-Man — Lance Henriksen comes up in the facts on that page
  • Michael Biehn — Lance Henriksen comes up in the facts on that page
  • Prometheus — Lance Henriksen comes up in the facts on that page

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

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