Brian Thompson (born August 28, 1959) is an American character actor.Thompson is perhaps best known for playing the antagonist in the 1986 movie Cobra. He began his career with a bit part in The Terminator, a 1984 blockbuster movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since then, Thompson has worked primarily in the action adventure and science fiction genres. His first named role was in Werewolf, a series that ran during Fox's inaugural broadcasting year of 1987-1988. Thompson has played several characters in the Star Trek franchise as well as the Alien Bounty Hunter on X-Files and Eddie Fiori on Kindred: The Embraced. In 2014, he produced, wrote and starred in the B movie, The Extendables.
Cobra, The Terminator, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Lionheart, Dragonheart, Fright Night Part 2, Doctor Mordrid, Joe Dirt, Moon 44, Alien Nation, Three Amigos, The Extendables, Rage and Honor, Life Stinks, Jason and the Argonauts, The Order, Epoch, The Naked Truth, Tillamook Treasure, Dragonquest, E...
TV Shows
Kindred: The Embraced, Key West, Werewolf
Star Sign
Virgo
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Trademark
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Towering height and brawny physique
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Square jaw and bold blue eyes
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Rich baritone voice
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Quote
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[on making films in England] I filmed Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) at Leavesdon Studios and then we shot the miniseries Jason and the Argonauts (2000) at Shepperton Studios. I've had the pleasure of working here twice. I love England. For an actor to not like England? You guys have the best vowels in the world! What I love about being here is the abundance of privacy, and it's the only place in the world where I have respect for taxi drivers, and their unique opinions. Walking around, there's the history -- walking on streets that are so historical, Roman roads. There's no separation between London and England, and the stories of my childhood -- Charles Dickens... it's storybook to be here. And I love the flat vowels!
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I think we're all in touch with our feminine side. I took a test in college to see what occupations I'd be most suited to and the counselor was very nervous when he told me I was not suited for any male occupations. I'm absolutely in touch with my feminine side -- I'm way more sensitive than my girlfriend, I have to pull her emotions out of her!
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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. Whereas Linda Hamilton, as Sarah Connor, she was an equal adversary too, she had balls.
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Fact
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Currently resides with his family in Kelso, Washington.
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.
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Cast against his "bad-guy" type, Thompson stars in a family film, The Legend of Tillamook's Gold (2006) as Uncle Jimmy, a rough around the edges Oregon logger.
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Has gathered some bad reputation for his portrayal of Shao Khan in the unpopular video-game movie-sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997).
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Has a long history with Star Trek, having appeared on three television series and one film, as two Klingons, a Dosi, a Jem'Hadar and a Romulan.
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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 (1994), a prisoner on the premiere episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995), and a brawling redneck on Walker, Texas Ranger (1993).
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Has won critical praise for his character Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson on the Fox comedy-drama series Key West (1993).
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He was hired for his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) (episode "A Matter of Honor"), and then dismissed without notice before it was filmed. When he sought out a reason why, he was told that he was too large to fit into the costume Christopher Lloyd wore in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He quickly volunteered to make any necessary alterations himself.
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Has played recurring characters on several television series. But on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Charmed (1998), he played different characters in different episodes. He also played two different aliens in the film Alien Nation (1988) and the television series Alien Nation (1989).
$4 Million
