ACTOR · BORN 1956
Michael Biehn
- Born
- 31 July 1956, Anniston, Alabama, USA
- Known for
- The Walking Dead (2010), The Terminator (1984), The Mandalorian (2019), Aliens (1986)
64 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
Michael Biehn: 18 Facts About Characters and Roles
- #010
For the role of Johnny Ringo in Tombstone, Michael Biehn was trained by the famous Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed. Reed had coached many well-known actors in gun handling, including Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliot, Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. This training played a critical role in lending credibility to Biehn's portrayal of Ringo.
- #013
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Caledon Hockley in Titanic and even met with James Cameron, but the role ultimately went to Billy Zane. Biehn and Zane had previously worked together on Tombstone and Susan's Plan. This lost role is remembered as one of the significant opportunities of Biehn's career.
- #014
Michael Biehn replaced James Remar in the role of Corporal Dwayne Hicks in Aliens. Remar had been forced to leave the project shortly before filming began. Biehn's involvement in the role became one of the most important turning points of his career and led to his identification with the character of Hicks.
- #018
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel, but the role went to Kevin Costner. Taking the part could have given Biehn a place in superhero cinema as well. This loss is just one of the many roles that got away over his career.
- #020
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Jack Traven in Speed, but the role went to Keanu Reeves. Reeves's performance made him an action star. Biehn's missing out on the role is remembered as one of the significant lost opportunities of his career.
- #027
Michael Biehn auditioned for the lead role in Dredd but lost the part to Karl Urban. Urban's performance turned the film into a cult production. Landing the role could have been a new peak in Biehn's career.
- #031
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's Avatar, but the part went to Stephen Lang. Lang's performance became one of the film's most memorable elements. Taking the role could have reunited Biehn with Cameron.
- #032
Neill Blomkamp called Michael Biehn in to audition for the role played by Sigourney Weaver in Chappie; he initially thought the part would be male but then changed his mind. This shows the confidence placed in Biehn's talent, though the role ultimately went to Weaver.
- #036
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Van Stretch in Internal Affairs, but the part went to William Baldwin. This loss is one of the many "missed roles" in Biehn's career. Baldwin's performance holds an important place in the film.
- #042
Michael Biehn auditioned for the role of Tom Chisum in Grease but lost the part to Lorenzo Lamas. He nevertheless took a much smaller role in the film. The experience illustrates the struggles of his early career.
- #043
At the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that Michael Biehn would play the ailing porn star John Holmes in the film Wonderland, which was to deal with the 1981 Wonderland Avenue murders. The project never came together, however, and four years later it was shot with a different team and Val Kilmer in the lead. Biehn's departure from the project is regarded as a significant lost opportunity in his career.
- #044
Michael Biehn refused to audition for the role of McManus in The Usual Suspects. The part ultimately went to Stephen Baldwin. Biehn's decision is remembered as one of the most debated moments of his career, since the film went on to achieve great success.
- #047
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Jerome Talget in The Grey, but the part went to Dermot Mulroney. The film holds an important place among survival-themed dramas. Missing out on the role is one of the lost opportunities of Biehn's career.
- #049
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Uncle Eddie in the series Big Love, which would have been his sixth time working with Bill Paxton. The producers gave the part to Brian Kerwin instead. Biehn has said he took the situation as a disappointment.
- #051
Michael Biehn turned down a role in Eight Men Out. The film is an important production dealing with the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Biehn's decision is regarded as one of the deliberate choices of his career.
- #056
Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Ned Pepper in True Grit but lost the part to Barry Pepper. Barry Pepper's performance holds an important place in the film. Missing out on the role is one of the lost opportunities of Biehn's career.
- #057
Michael Biehn was offered the role of Mikey's Father in Shadowboxer, but the part went to Darnell Williams. The film combines the crime and drama genres. Whether Biehn turned the role down or simply did not get it is one of the unknowns of his career.
- #060
In 1998, Michael Biehn signed on to star in and direct the dramatic thriller The Hanged Man. The film was to be about a man who crashes in a small town and is taken captive. Biehn gave up directing, however, because of a schedule conflict with The Magnificent Seven, and Kevin Dowling replaced him. The project remains one of the rare attempts at directing in Biehn's career.
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