An actor who starred in a string of iconic 1980s blockbusters was unrecognizable during a rare public sighting this week.
At the peak of his fame, he was known for his collaborations with a director who went on to make two of the highest-grossing pictures of all time.
In the 1990s, he acted alongside famous faces ranging from Charlie Sheen and Nicolas Cage to Angelina Jolie and Kurt Russell.
He cut a distinguished figure when he surfaced in sweltering Los Angeles this Thursday – the day he celebrated his 69th birthday.
The actor wore a casually stylish ensemble of a black t-shirt and matching jeans when he was glimpsed emerging from a supermarket.
Can you guess who he is?
An actor who starred in a string of iconic 1980s blockbusters was unrecognizable during a rare public sighting this week
He is none other than Michael Biehn, iconic among 1980s sci-fi enthusiasts for his roles as the main hero Sgt. Kyle Reese in The Terminator and as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in the film Aliens.
In The Terminator, Kyle Reese is portrayed as a fighter resisting a future AI apocalypse, embarking on a time-travel mission to prevent Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from killing Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor.
In Aliens, Michael teamed up with Sigourney Weaver, as part of a space expedition crew battling to survive against a relentless attack by hostile aliens.
Both movies were helmed by James Cameron, who directed Michael again in the 1989 sci-fi thriller The Abyss, featuring him alongside Ed Harris.
Michael also briefly appeared as Kyle in the director’s cut of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in a scene that was cut from the theatrical version.
Born in Alabama in 1958, Michael began his film career with a minor, uncredited role in the 1978 movie Grease, featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Three years thereafter, he secured a pivotal role in the thriller The Fan, portraying a fan turned killer obsessed with a stage actress played by Lauren Bacall.
Following his 1980s sci-fi triumphs, Michael starred throughout the 1990s alongside Charlie Sheen in Navy SEALs, with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer in Tombstone, Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage in The Rock, and appeared with Angelina Jolie in Mojave Moon.
He is none other than Michael Biehn, known to 1980s sci-fi fans as leading man Sgt. Kyle Reese in The Terminator and supporting character Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in Aliens
In The Terminator, Kyle Reese is a soldier in the resistance against a futuristic AI takeover, and enlists in a time-travel mission to rescue Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor (left)
Aliens saw Michael cast opposite Sigourney Weaver, as members of a space crew desperately trying to survive an onslaught by malign extraterrestrials
He cut a distinguished figure when he surfaced in sweltering Los Angeles this Thursday – the day he celebrated his 69th birthday
Both of his most famous movies were helmed by James Cameron, who directed Michael again in the 1989 sci-fi thriller The Abyss, featuring him alongside Ed Harris
Michael welcomed five sons over the course of three marriages, the most recent of which is to actress Jennifer Blanc, whom he married in 2015 and is with to this day
However his career fizzled during that decade and he descended into a period of alcoholism that ended when he went on the wagon in 2008.
Reflecting on his past work in a 2019 interview, he said: ‘People always talk about me being an ’80s star. I was not an ’80s star. Bruce Willis was an ’80s star. Tom Cruise was an ’80s star. Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Mel Gibson. Those guys were making $20 million [a picture]. I never even got $1 million. I kind of liked it that way.’
He noted: ‘I have five boys and that was always important to me that I was going to be closer to them than I was to the movie business,’ via The Hollywood Reporter.
Michael welcomed his sons over the course of three marriages, the most recent of which is to actress Jennifer Blanc, whom he married in 2015 and is with to this day.
‘The amount of movies Bruce Willis makes,’ Michael said in 2019: ‘I don’t see how you can live a normal life where you see your kids all the time, you’re taking them to school and baseball practice and you’re coaching their teams. You’re in their lives.’
James Cameron observed: ‘Maybe what held Michael back was that he didn’t like playing the Hollywood game — schmoozing people and all that. For him it was all about the work. And also the path to stardom is capricious, and can turn on a single choice. Every time you take a part the road forks.’
The director reflected: ‘Major stardom passed him by, but that’s not the point. He’s done great work in many films over the years, and is well loved and respected for a few iconic characters. Who can forget Johnny Ringo in Tombstone?’
