Biography for
Brian Thompson (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

28 August 1959, Ellensburg, Washington, USA

Birth Name

Brian Thompson

Height

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Mini Biography

Thompson was born in Ellensburg, Washington, located in the same area where "Northern Exposure" (1990) would later be filmed. Raised on the Columbia River in Longview, he learned the value of academics and athletics, as the son of two teachers and the second of six siblings. His interest in acting was first sparked during his senior year of high school with the role of the Russian ballet instructor Boris in the comedy "You Can't Take it With You".

Under the pretense of attending Central Washington University to play football and study business management, he quietly auditioned for every available play, treading the boards for a dozen school productions, from musicals and operas to the more lighthearted fare of 'Neil Simon (I)'.

Earning a scholarship to the University of California-Irvine, he sailed through a three-year Master of Fine Arts program, learning from such theatrical luminaries as playwright Edward Albee, Robert Cohen and Jerzy Grotoswski, and supplementing his education through work with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Before graduation he began to audition theatrically, and by the time school ended he had his SAG card, an agent, and five pro credits, including James Cameron's The Terminator (1984), where he and Bill Paxton's clothes were forcibly removed by a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger.

About a year after Arnold took Brian's clothes, Sylvester Stallone wanted a hack at Brian as well. After seven auditions and a screen test, Brian earned the right to get impaled on a meat hook, then burned alive, Stallone's Cobra (1986). This began a strong of credits that has left Thompson in and around some of Hollywood's biggest and most projects.

Brian has tackled two superhero roles as well: first, Conan the Librarian (1999), starring red in the title role, a PBS special to encourage kids to read. He also earned critical acclaim playing the larger-than-life role of "Hercules" in Jason and the Argonauts (2000) (TV) Probably the first part that demanded use of his classical background as well as his 6' 3" muscled frame. Brian says that no gym can claim him as a member, and that his physique is kept honed by years of windsurfing and now kitesurfing.

Taking a curiously "musical" approach to his craft, the actor continually seeks fresh rhythms for each new role. Brian verifies his well rounded nature with a resume that lists such special skills as martial arts (black belt Hapkido), piano and sushi rolling. He lives at home with his son Jordan and daughter Daphne.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Warren Cowan and Associates

Spouse

Isabelle (Isavela) Mastoraki

(? - ?)

Trade Mark

Brawny physique, rich voice

Trivia

Kite surfs to stay in shape. Hit two holes in one in the same year on the same course, same hole.

Son, Jordan, Daughter, Daphne.

Lives with his family in Los Angeles.

He has played shape-shifting characters at least five times, "The X-Files" (1993), "Birds of Prey" (2002), "Werewolf" (1987), "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) and Fright Night Part 2 (1988).

Has appeared with Jeffrey Combs in three different productions: Doctor Mordrid (1992), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) and "Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001).

He played the first character killed by the title character in The Terminator (1984).

Once portrayed a villain in the TV series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (1995). In Jason and the Argonauts (2000) (TV), he portrayed "Hercules".

Has played recurring characters on several TV shows. But on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993), "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) and "Charmed" (1998), he played different characters in different episodes. Also, he played two different aliens in Alien Nation (1988) movie and the "Alien Nation" (1989) series.

Black belt in Hapkido.

Hit two holes-in-one in the same year on the same golf course, same hole.

He won critical praise for his character of Sheriff Cody on the Fox series Key West.

When not playing aliens, Brian has taken on a quirky series of human characters. He has been a Scandinavian wrestler on an episode of Weird Science, a prisoner on the premiere episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and a brawling redneck on Walker: Texas Ranger.

Thompson has a long history with Star Trek, having appeared in three series and one film, as two Klingons, a Dosi, a Jem'Hadar and a Romulan.

He gathered some bad reputation for his portrayal of Shao Khan in the unpopular video-game movie-sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Cast against his "bad-guy" type, Thompson stars in a family film, Tillamook Treasure (to be released in 2006) as Uncle Jimmy, a rough around the edges Oregon logger.

Raised on the Columbia River in Longview, he learned the value of academics and athletics, as the son of two teachers and the second of six siblings.

Rather like playing comedy.

He has played shape-shifting characters at least five times, The X-Files, Birds of Prey, Werewolf (1987), Buffy, and the movie Fright Night II.

Thompson is one of a few people to play two different villains on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. 'Tom Lenk' 'Jeff Kober' and 'Camden Toy' were others.

He is the Director of the Actor's School of Mount Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon.

Degree in theater (acting) at University of California-Irvine.

Attended Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, and graduated in business management and engineering.

He is the only actor to appear in both the film Alien Nation (1988) and the subsequent television series "Alien Nation" (1989).