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Brian Thompson

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Occupation
  
Actor

Parents
  
Bert Thompson

Role
  
Character actor

Name
  
Brian Thompson

Years active
  
1983–present


Brian Thompson Picture of Brian Thompson

Born
  
August 28, 1959 (age 65) (
1959-08-28
)
Ellensburg, Washington, United States

Spouse
  
Shari Braun (m. 1998), Isabelle Mastorakis (m. ?–1998)

Children
  
Daphne Thompson, Jordan Thompson

Movies
  
Cobra, The Terminator, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Dragonheart, Lionheart

Similar People
  
Sheldon Lettich, Reni Santoni, George P Cosmatos, Sandra Hess, James Remar

The terminator


Brian Earl Thompson (born August 28, 1959) is an American actor. Thompson has worked in the action adventure and science fiction genres where his stature and unique appearance often lends him to imposing roles, although he has earned many comedic parts as well. His career began with a small role in the 1984 film The Terminator. His second feature was the hit comedy The Three Amigos. He played the villainous "Night Slasher" in the 1986 film Cobra. His first named role was on Werewolf, a horror series that ran during Fox's inaugural broadcasting year of 1987–1988. Thompson has played several characters in the Star Trek franchise, the Alien Bounty Hunter on The X-Files, and Eddie Fiori on Kindred: The Embraced. In 2014, he produced, wrote and starred in the B movie parody The Extendables.

Contents

Brian Thompson RAIDERS Casting Draft DAY SEVEN Tuesday the 24th

Cobra (1986) - Bonus Clip: Actor Brian Thompson Discusses The Hero Knife (HD)


Early life

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Thompson was born in Ellensburg, Washington, and raised in Longview. He attended Central Washington University, where he studied business management, played football, and appeared in many school productions. He then moved to California and received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine. He initially trained and pursued a career in musical theater, performing at Riverside Civil Light Opera's production of "The King and I", Long Beach Civic Light Opera's "Bittersweet", and several other musicals. In 1982, he was a resident actor at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.

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Thompson's athletic build and unique facial structure were key in the initial roles he was offered. He has stated that it has occasionally been a double-edged sword when it comes to auditioning for roles, but it has provided him with consistent work. Thompson said, "If you're very physical in stature, you're gonna get hired for action movies. The star's always going to be chasing someone so they need an equal adversary. I'm never going to play a nebbish geek."

Career

Thompson was cast in The Terminator while still in school. He and Bill Paxton had minor roles as punk thugs.

He followed that up with roles on Moonlighting, Otherworld, Street Hawk and Knight Rider before landing the role in the Sylvester Stallone vehicle, Cobra (1986). Although the film was critically panned, it was a commercial success. The New York Times wrote of Thompson's portrayal, "the archvillain, a character that is a cross between a James Bond fantasy villain such as Jaws and a raging psychopath, delivers a scorching monologue – a feat of linguistic sophistication that Cobra would have a hard time matching."

In 1993, Thompson landed another comedic role on the large ensemble series Key West which was filmed on location in the Florida Keys. The series lasted for 13 episodes. He played a "new-age sheriff", which Thompson stated was the favorite role of his career. The character uttered the introductory line, "I'm Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson. I'm a direct descendant of Wyatt Earp and the Lone Ranger. My personal heroes are Ted Nugent, Buddha and Davy Crockett. I am the last real lawman and the first peace officer of the 21st century."

The following year, Thompson began his tenure on The X-Files and followed that with roles in the science fiction-fantasy series Seven Days, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. Between these, Thompson made dozens of appearances in other series and films. In 1996, he appeared in Dragonheart as the commander of the armies of David Thewlis' villainous king. The fantasy film, starring Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery, was a moderate success.

Thompson then returned to the big screen as lead antagonist Shao Kahn in the film adaptation of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The film was both a critical and commercial failure, with a 3% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times called it "colossal compendium of logic-defying martial arts, noisy, hyperactive special effects..." In 2014, Thompson released The Extendables, a film he produced, written and starred in. A parody of movies like The Expendables, Thompson stated that it contained true-to-life instances from his own career. It was released via iTunes.

Star Trek

In 1989, Thompson landed his first Star Trek role on Star Trek: The Next Generation. His size worked against him at first, because the producers were originally looking to cast someone who could fit in a certain costume. He was able to convince them to give him a try: "That was the first of five auditions that I've had for Star Trek and they've hired me every time." Thompson played a Klingon in the episode "A Matter of Honor". In 1993 and 1996, he appeared in episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as different characters. In 1994, he appeared in the feature film Star Trek Generations.

In 2005, Thompson was cast as Admiral Valdore in three episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise. Thompson has since participated, to some extent, in Star Trek fandom, giving narrative DVD extras and appearing at conventions.

Personal life

Thompson is a stand up paddle surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing enthusiast and studies hapkido. He has two children.

Filmography

Actor
-
Made Vicious (post-production) as
Al
-
The Longest Sleep (post-production)
2021
The Tragedy of Macbeth as
Murderer
2021
NCIS: Los Angeles (TV Series) as
CIA Officer Steven Erdnase
- Through the Looking Glass (2021) - CIA Officer Steven Erdnase
2018
9-1-1 (TV Series) as
Capt. Vincent Gerrard
- First Responders (2021) - Capt. Vincent Gerrard
- Chimney Begins (2019) - Capt. Vincent Gerrard
- Hen Begins (2018) - Capt. Vincent Gerrard
2019
I Am That Man as
CIA Agent Gregory Halpin
2019
Hoax as
John Singer
2019
Disappearance as
Captain Cody
2018
The Dead Man (Short) as
Army
2018
Big Muddy as
Wyatt Cooper
2017
The Orville (TV Series) as
Drogen
- Into the Fold (2017) - Drogen
2017
Trafficked as
Max
2016
Beyond the Game as
Hunter
2014
The Extendables as
Vardell Duseldorfer
2014
An American Terror as
The Junker
2014
Hawaii Five-0 (TV Series) as
IA Detective Nicholas Cruz
- Hana Lokomaika'i (2014) - IA Detective Nicholas Cruz
2013
Perception (TV Series) as
Vernon Hill
- Ch-Ch-Changes (2013) - Vernon Hill
2012
Fan Wars (TV Series) as
Juror
- Bruce Wayne vs. Tony Stark (2012) - Juror
- Green Arrow vs. Hawkeye (2012) - Juror
- Cyborg vs. R2D2 (2012) - Juror
- Wonder Woman vs. She Hulk (2012) - Juror
- Darth Vader vs. Magneto (2012) - Juror
- Indiana Jones vs Han Solo (2012) - Juror
2012
Spirit of a Denture (Short) as
Jasper Crow
2012
Californication (TV Series) as
Mr. Scary
- At the Movies (2012) - Mr. Scary
2011
Love's Christmas Journey (TV Movie) as
Cass
2011
Dark Games as
Detective Joe Grimes
2011
The Arcadian as
Agmundr
2010
Dawn of Darkness (Short)(voice)
2010
Whatdogsee (Short) as
Intimidating Boyfriend
2009
Emissary (TV Series)
2009
Dragonquest (Video) as
Kirill
2009
Chuck (TV Series) as
Cliff
- Chuck Versus the Suburbs (2009) - Cliff
2007
El último justo as
Shein
2007
Fist of the Warrior as
Max
2007
Flight of the Living Dead as
Kevin
2006
The Legend of Tillamook's Gold as
Jimmy Kimbell
2005
Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) as
Adm. Valdore
- The Aenar (2005) - Adm. Valdore
- United (2005) - Adm. Valdore
- Babel One (2005) - Adm. Valdore
2004
NCIS (TV Series) as
MCPO Vince Nutter
- The Truth Is Out There (2004) - MCPO Vince Nutter
2003
Epoch: Evolution (TV Movie) as
Tower
2003
Karen Sisco (TV Series) as
McLeod's Cellmate
- Nostalgia (2003) - McLeod's Cellmate
2000
Charmed (TV Series) as
Cronus / War
- Oh My Goddess!: Part 2 (2003) - Cronus
- Oh My Goddess!: Part 1 (2003) - Cronus
- Apocalypse, Not (2000) - War
2002
Birds of Prey (TV Series) as
The Crawler
- Split (2002) - The Crawler
2001
The Order as
Cyrus
2001
Epoch (TV Movie) as
Captain Tower
2001
Joe Dirt as
Buffalo Bob
2000
If Tomorrow Comes as
Sergio
1995
The X-Files (TV Series) as
Alien Bounty Hunter
- Without (2000) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- Requiem (2000) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- The Unnatural (1999) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- The Red and the Black (1998) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- Patient X (1998) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- Herrenvolk (1996) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- Talitha Cumi (1996) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- End Game (1995) - Alien Bounty Hunter
- Colony (1995) - Alien Bounty Hunter
2000
V.I.P. (TV Series) as
Thomas Binford Shaklee
- Throw Val from the Train (2000) - Thomas Binford Shaklee
2000
Jason and the Argonauts (TV Mini Series) as
Hercules
- Episode #1.2 (2000) - Hercules
- Episode #1.1 (2000) - Hercules
2000
Soldier of Fortune (Video Game) as
Wilhelm 'Saber' Dekker (voice)
1999
Baywatch (TV Series) as
Porter
- The Hunt (1999) - Porter
1999
Crusade (TV Series) as
Robert Black
- Patterns of the Soul (1999) - Robert Black
1999
Soldier of Fortune, Inc. (TV Series) as
Keene
- The Vestige (1999) - Keene
1998
NYPD Blue (TV Series) as
Todd
- Czech Bouncer (1998) - Todd
1998
Seven Days (TV Series) as
Captain Curry
- Doppleganger: Part 2 (1998) - Captain Curry
- Doppleganger: Part 1 (1998) - Captain Curry
1997
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) as
The Judge / Luke
- Innocence (1998) - The Judge
- Surprise (1998) - The Judge
- The Harvest (1997) - Luke
- Welcome to the Hellmouth (1997) - Luke
1997
The Guardian (TV Movie) as
Chester Calvado
1997
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation as
Shao Kahn
1997
Bouncers (TV Movie) as
Victor
1997
Perfect Target (Video) as
Major Oxnard
1996
Kindred: The Embraced (TV Series) as
Eddie Fiori
- Nightstalker (1996) - Eddie Fiori
- The Rise and Fall of Eddie Fiori (1996) - Eddie Fiori
- Live Hard, Die Young, and Leave a Good Looking Corpse (1996) - Eddie Fiori
- Romeo and Juliet (1996) - Eddie Fiori
- Prince of the City (1996) - Eddie Fiori
- The Original Saga (1996) - Eddie Fiori
1996
DragonHeart as
Brok
1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) as
Toman'torax / Inglatu
- To the Death (1996) - Toman'torax
- Rules of Acquisition (1993) - Inglatu
1996
Weird Science (TV Series) as
Blitzkriegar
- Men in Tights (1996) - Blitzkriegar
1995
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (TV Series) as
Goth the Barbarian
- Siege at Naxos (1995) - Goth the Barbarian
1994
Star Trek: Generations as
Klingon Helm
1993
Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series) as
Leo Cale
- Family Matters (1993) - Leo Cale
1993
Key West (TV Series) as
Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Heavy Metal, Heavy Hearts (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- The System (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Compadres (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- We the People (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Crossroads (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Gimme Shelter (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Act of God (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- The Greening (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Pieces of a Man (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Less Moonlight (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- The Great Unknown (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- The Second Day in Heaven (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
- Pilot (1993) - Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson
1992
Rage and Honor as
Conrad Drago
1992
Renegade (TV Series) as
Otto in Reno disguise
- Final Judgement (1992) - Otto in Reno disguise (uncredited)
1992
The Naked Truth as
Bruno
1992
Doctor Mordrid as
Kabal
1991
Ted & Venus as
Herb
1991
The Owl (TV Movie) as
Barkeeper
1991
Life Stinks as
Mean Victor
1991
Superboy (TV Series) as
The Golem
- The Golem (1991) - The Golem
1990
After the Shock (TV Movie) as
Tom
1990
Lionheart as
Russell
1990
In the Cold of the Night as
Phil
1990
Hired to Kill as
Frank Ryan
1990
Alien Nation (TV Series) as
Peter Rabbit
- Rebirth (1990) - Peter Rabbit
1990
Moon 44 as
Jake O'Neal
1989
Nightwish as
Dean
1989
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) as
Second Officer Klag
- A Matter of Honor (1989) - Second Officer Klag
1989
Three Fugitives as
Second Thug (as Yahoots Magoondi)
1988
Fright Night Part 2 as
Bozworth
1988
Favorite Son (TV Mini Series) as
Peterson
- Part One (1988) - Peterson
1988
Something Is Out There (TV Series) as
Eddie Ringeman
- Gladiator (1988) - Eddie Ringeman
1988
Alien Nation as
Trent Porter
1988
Miracle Mile as
Power Lifter
1988
Something Is Out There (TV Mini Series) as
Eddie
- Part Two (1988) - Eddie
- Part One (1988) - Eddie
1987
Werewolf (TV Series) as
Nicholas Remy
- Gray Wolf (1988) - Nicholas Remy
- Blind Luck (1988) - Nicholas Remy (credit only)
- To Dream of Wolves: Part 2 (1988) - Nicholas Remy
- To Dream of Wolves: Part 1 (1988) - Nicholas Remy
- Pilot (1987) - Nicholas Remy
1988
Martini Ranch: Reach (Music Video) as
Coffin Maker #2
1987
Falcon Crest (TV Series) as
Hopkins / Brian Hopkins
- Manhunt (1987) - Hopkins
- Sweet Revenge (1987) - Brian Hopkins
- New Faces (1987) - Hopkins
- Dead End (1987) - Hopkins
- The Big Bang (1987) - Hopkins
1987
Catch the Heat as
Danny Boy
1987
Pass the Ammo as
Kenny Hamilton
1987
You Talkin' to Me? as
James
1987
Commando Squad as
Clint Jensen
1986
Firefight (Short) as
Waterbull
1986
Three Amigos! as
German's Other Friend
1986
Cobra as
Night Slasher
1985
George Burns Comedy Week (TV Series) as
Gibbons / Hood at Door
- The Assignment (1985) - Gibbons
- The Smiths (1985) - Hood at Door
1985
Knight Rider (TV Series) as
Kurt
- Sky Knight (1985) - Kurt
1985
Our Family Honor (TV Series)
- Pilot (1985)
1985
Moonlighting (TV Series) as
Simon's Man
- Moonlighting (Pilot) (1985) - Simon's Man
1985
Otherworld (TV Series) as
D.I. #2
- The Zone Troopers Build Men (1985) - D.I. #2
1985
Street Hawk (TV Series) as
Punk #1
- Pilot (1985) - Punk #1
1984
Fatal Vision (TV Mini Series) as
Lt. Harrison
- Episode #1.2 (1984) - Lt. Harrison
- Episode #1.1 (1984) - Lt. Harrison
1984
The Terminator as
Punk
1984
Hardcastle and McCormick (TV Series) as
Cop
- Ties My Father Sold Me (1984) - Cop
Director
2014
The Extendables
Writer
2014
The Extendables
Producer
2014
The Extendables (producer)
Soundtrack
1987
Pass the Ammo (performer: "Samson and Delilah")
Self
2023
Two Dollar Late Fee (Podcast Series) as
Self - Guest
- The Brian Thompson Interview (2023) - Self - Guest
2022
Monsters Madness and Magic (Podcast Series) as
Self
- Aliens and Shakespeare - An Interview with Brian Thompson (2022) - Self
2021
Kamidogu: Kombat Lives Here (Podcast Series) as
Self
- Brian Thompson (2021) - Self
2021
The Good, the Bad, and the Sequel (Podcast Series) as
Self
- Interview w/ Actor Brian Thompson(Cobra/Fright Night Part 2/Joe Dirt) (2021) - Self
2019
Stalking and Slashing: An Interview with Actor Brian Thompson (Video documentary short) as
Self
2016
What Is Fright Night? (Video documentary short) as
Self
2016
You're So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night (Documentary) as
Self
2016
Undercover Mercenary (Video documentary short) as
Self
2012
Making It So: Continuing Star Trek - The Next Generation (Video documentary) as
Self
2010
Put Up Your Dux (Documentary) as
Self
2002
'Buffy': Season 2 Overview (Video documentary short) as
Self
1998
Inside the X Files (TV Movie documentary) as
Self
1992
From Hollywood to Hanoi (Documentary) as
Self
Archive Footage
2021
Kain's Quest (TV Series documentary) as
Self
- Cobra (2021) - Self
2016
Hawaii Five-0 (TV Series) as
IA Detective Nicholas Cruz
- Waiwai (2016) - IA Detective Nicholas Cruz (uncredited)
2015
Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser (Video) as
Buffalo Bob (uncredited)
2004
Monsters Gone Wild! (Video documentary)
2002
The X-Files (TV Series) as
Alien Bounty Hunter
- The Truth (2002) - Alien Bounty Hunter (uncredited)
1998
Master of Desaster: Roland Emmerich - eine Hollywoodkarriere (TV Movie documentary) as
Jake O'Neal (uncredited)
1996
Secrets of the X Files, Part 2 (TV Special documentary) as
Alien Bounty Hunter (uncredited)
1994
Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater (TV Series) as
Conrad Drago
- Episode dated 16 July 1994 (1994) - Conrad Drago
1989
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) as
Second Officer Klag
- Shades of Gray (1989) - Second Officer Klag (uncredited)

References

Brian Thompson Wikipedia


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