08/01/2022
Michael Biehn almost didn't get the role of Kyle Reese in "The Terminator" (1984) because in his first audition, he spoke in a Southern accent as a result of working on a part for a stage production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (he didn't get the role). During a talk with Biehn's agent, the producers mentioned that they liked Biehn's performance, but they didn't want Reese's accent making him seem too regionalized; this puzzled the agent, who asked "What accent?" After the mystery was cleared up, the producers called Biehn back for another audition, and he got the part.
Biehn initially thought the movie would be a silly low-budget time-travel movie, but decided to audition anyway. Any misgivings he had about taking part in the film were instantly abated when he met James Cameron, who showed him detailed storyboards and gave him an expressive overview of the story, winning him over by his passion and clarity of vision. Biehn would be a frequent collaborator of Cameron over the next decades.
On the chase scenes in the film: "Looking back on it, I realize we were really going at some high speeds those nights. One night, my adrenaline was running so high I actually tore the steering wheel off, and I just looked over at Linda [Hamilton] and said "Here, you drive!"
On not spending much time with Arnold Schwarzenegger on set "I saw him around, you know. He was doing his thing, I was doing my thing, but I didn't really get to talk to him because Linda and I spend the entire film running away from Arnold."
"I do firmly believe that I've been overlooked, especially in 'The Terminator.' Jim Cameron was saying to me at the time, "I don't know Michael why you are not being offered more movies now." All of us expected it, you know? But now, five or six years later, when everyone has seen the movie five or six times on video people are beginning to realize how good it was and what a good performance it was. But I have to say I don't feel shortchanged and I don't resent anything. I think it's best in the long run. Look at the Brat Pack: those guys got so much so fast that they were never allowed to really struggle and know what good chances they had in much of the work they were doing. So even though I felt that some of my work was overlooked at times I know that it has made me stronger and better and it has made me work harder to get other jobs and be good in them." (IMDb)
Happy Birthday, Michael Biehn!
