Michael Biehn Wanted to Be Closer to His Children than the Movie Business

Michael Biehn worked with James Cameron before the latter was a well-known director.

Biehn had never heard of Cameron when he got the script for The Terminator but took on the role of Kyle Reese after liking the script.

When talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor admitted he thought the movie would fail. "It didn't have anything going for it as far as I was concerned."

However, the movie was a tremendous success, earning $37.7 million during its original run on a $6.4 million budget.

The Terminator also boosted Biehn's acting career, and he went on to star in Cameron's 1986 movie, Aliens.

Compared to The Terminator, Aliens was an even bigger hit. It earned $131 million globally and won two Oscars out of seven nominations.

However, Biehn didn't appear in many big projects after a few years of starring in big movies. In fact, the number of big films he played in can be counted on one hand, and most of his later works have been smaller productions.

But the actor says he doesn't mind it much. He revealed the only movies he felt disappointed at not getting roles in were Tim Burton's Batman (which he lost to Michael Keaton) and Cameron's Avatar.

Michael Biehn Prioritized Children over Career

Biehn does not regret not turning into one of his generation's biggest stars, especially because his children are much more important to him than his acting career.

"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," Biehn shared.

He also referred to Bruce Willis's success and shared he wouldn't know how to prioritize his career over his children.

The amount of movies Bruce Willis makes, I don’t see how you can live a normal life where you can see your kids all the time, you’re taking them to school and baseball practice and you’re coaching their teams. You’re their lives.

Biehn has five children from his three marriages. His first marriage was with actress Carlene Olson, whom he married on July 11, 1980.

Biehn and Olson welcomed twin sons, Devon Biehn and Taylor Biehn, in 1984. Three years after the birth of their children, the two split on July 14, 1987.

Michael Biehn with his children. (Source: Instagram)

In 1988, Biehn tied the knot with his second wife, Gina Marsh. The pair also share two children, sons Caelan Biehn and Alexander Biehn.

Biehn and Marsh welcomed Caelan on April 11, 1992. After more than a decade, their family of three grew larger when Marsh gave birth to Alexander on March 19, 2003.

Both Caelan and Alexander have worked on movies and TV shows. Caelan acted in The Magnificent Seven and worked as a production assistant in Greystone and Among Friends.

As for Alexander, he has appeared in Psychophonia and The Dare. He is also set to appear in My Jurassic Place.

Biehn and Marsh divorced in March 2014, after over 25 years of marriage.

A year later, Biehn and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, welcomed their son, Dashiell King Biehn, on March 21, 2015.

They tied the knot three years later, on June 7, 2018.

Biehn and Blanc have also worked together professionally. The two co-produced and starred in the 2011 movie The Victim.