Brian Thompson | |
|---|---|
 Thompson in 2017 | |
| Born | Brian Earl Thompson (1959-08-28)August 28, 1959 (age 66) Ellensburg, Washington, U.S. |
| Education | Central Washington University University of California, Irvine |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Children | 2 |
Brian Earl Thompson (born August 28, 1959) is an Americanactor. His career began with a small role in the 1984 filmThe Terminator. He played the villainous "Night Slasher" in the 1986 filmCobra. His first named role was onWerewolf, a horror series that ran duringFox's inaugural broadcasting year of 1987–1988.[1][2][3] Thompson has played several characters in theStar Trek franchise—the most notable being the Klingon Lieutenant Klag, who informed CommanderWilliam Riker that "Gagh is always best when served live", theAlien Bounty Hunter onThe X-Files, and Eddie Fiori onKindred: The Embraced.[4] In 2014, he produced, wrote and starred in theB movieparodyThe Extendables.[5]
Thompson was born inEllensburg, Washington, and raised inLongview. He attendedCentral Washington University, where he studied business management, played football, and appeared in many school productions. He then moved to California and earned aMaster of Fine Arts from theUniversity of California, Irvine.[6] He initially trained and pursued a career in musical theater, performing at Riverside Civil Light Opera's production ofThe King and I, Long Beach Civic Light Opera'sBitter Sweet, and several other musicals. In 1982, he was a resident actor at theColorado Shakespeare Festival.
Thompson's athletic build and unique facial structure were key in the initial roles he was offered.[7] 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.[8] 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."[1]
Thompson was cast inThe Terminator while still in school. He andBill Paxton had minor roles as punk thugs.[1][9]
He followed that up with roles onMoonlighting,Otherworld,Street Hawk andKnight Rider before landing a role in theSylvester 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 aJames Bond fantasy villain such asJaws and a raging psychopath, delivers a scorching monologue – a feat of linguistic sophistication that Cobra would have a hard time matching."[10]
In 1993, Thompson landed another comedic role on the large ensemble seriesKey West which was filmed on location in theFlorida Keys. The series lasted for 13 episodes. He played a "new-age sheriff", which Thompson has stated was the favorite role of his career.[11] The character uttered the introductory line, "I'm Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson. I'm a direct descendant ofWyatt Earp andthe Lone Ranger. My personal heroes areTed Nugent,Buddha andDavy Crockett. I am the last real lawman and the first peace officer of the 21st century."[12]
The following year, Thompson began his tenure onThe X-Files and followed that with roles in the science fiction-fantasy seriesSeven Days,Buffy the Vampire Slayer andCharmed. Between these, Thompson made dozens of appearances in other series and films.[1][13] In 1996, he appeared inDragonheart as Brok, the commander of the armies ofDavid Thewlis' villainous king, Einon. Thefantasy film, starringDennis Quaid andSean Connery, was a moderate success.[14]
Thompson then returned to the big screen as lead antagonistShao Kahn in the poorly receivedMortal Kombat Annihilation.[15]The New York Times called it "colossal compendium of logic-defying martial arts, noisy, hyperactive special effects..."[16] In 2014, Thompson releasedThe Extendables, a film he produced, wrote, and starred in. A parody of movies likeThe Expendables, Thompson stated that it contained true-to-life instances from his own career.[17] It was released viaiTunes.[18] In 2017 Thompson was in the thriller indie filmTrafficked withAshley Judd,[19] and in 2019 he starred in the horror filmHoax alongsideAdrienne Barbeau;[20] in 2022 he appeared in the historical thriller filmThe Tragedy of Macbeth withDenzel Washington.
In 1989, Thompson landed his firstStar Trek role onStar 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 forStar Trek and they've hired me every time."[8] Thompson played aKlingon in the episode "A Matter of Honor".[8][21] In 1993 and 1996, he appeared in episodes ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine as different characters. In 1994, he appeared in the feature filmStar Trek Generations.
In 2005, Thompson was cast as Admiral Valdore in three episodes ofStar Trek: Enterprise. Thompson has since participated inStar Trek fandom, giving narrativeDVD extras and appearing at conventions.[11][13][21]
Thompson is astandup paddleboarding,windsurfing, andkiteboarding enthusiast, and also studieshapkido.[9][22] He has two children.[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Terminator | Rick | |
| 1986 | Cobra | 'The Night Slasher' | |
| ¡Three Amigos! | German Thug | ||
| 1988 | Fright Night Part 2 | Bozworth | |
| Alien Nation | Trent Porter | ||
| Miracle Mile | Helicopter Pilot | ||
| 1989 | Three Fugitives | Second Thug | |
| Nightwish | Dean | ||
| 1990 | Lionheart | Russell / Roc | |
| Moon 44 | Jake O'Neal | ||
| After the Shock | Tom | TV movie | |
| Hired to Kill | Frank Ryan | ||
| 1991 | Life Stinks | Mean Victor | |
| 1992 | Doctor Mordrid | Kabal | |
| Rage and Honor | Conrad Drago | ||
| 1993 | The Naked Truth | Bruno | |
| 1994 | Star Trek Generations | Klingon Helmsman | |
| 1996 | Dragonheart | Brok | |
| 1997 | Mortal Kombat Annihilation | Shao Kahn | |
| Perfect Target | Major Oxnard | ||
| 2001 | Joe Dirt | Bob 'Buffalo Bob' | |
| Epoch | Captain Tower | ||
| The Order | Cyrus Jacob | ||
| 2007 | Fist of the Warrior | Max | |
| Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane | Kevin | ||
| 2009 | Dragonquest | Kirill | |
| 2011 | The Arcadian | Agmundr | |
| 2014 | The Extendables[23] | Vardell 'V.D.' Duseldorfer | Also writer, producer and director |
| 2016 | Beyond the Game | ||
| 2017 | Sunflower | Captain Cody | |
| Dark Games | Detective Joe Grimes | ||
| Trafficked | Max | ||
| 2019 | Hoax | John Singer | |
| I Am That Man | Halpin | ||
| 2020 | Big Muddy | Wyatt Cooper | |
| 2021 | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Young Murderer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Police Officer | Episode: "Ties My Father Sold Me" |
| 1985 | Knight Rider | Kurt | Episode: "Sky Knight" |
| Otherworld | D.I. #2 | 1 episode | |
| 1988 | Favorite Son | Rolf Petersen | 3 episodes |
| Werewolf | Nicholas Remy | 3 episodes | |
| 1989 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Klingon Officer Klag | Episode: "A Matter of Honor" |
| 1990 | Alien Nation | Peter Rabbit | Episode: "Rebirth" |
| 1993 | Key West | Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson | 13 episodes |
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Inglatu | Episode: "Rules of Acquisition" | |
| 1995–2000 | The X-Files | Alien Bounty Hunter | 9 episodes |
| 1995 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Goth the Barbarian | Episode: "Siege at Naxos" |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Toman'torax | Episode: "To the Death" |
| Kindred: The Embraced | Eddie Fiori (leader of theBrujah vampire clan) | 6 episodes | |
| 1997 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Luke | Episodes: "Welcome to the Hellmouth", "The Harvest" |
| 1998 | NYPD Blue | Todd | Episode: "Czech Bouncer" |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | The Judge | Episodes: "Surprise", "Innocence" | |
| 2000 | Charmed | Horseman of War | Episode: "Apocalypse, Not" |
| Jason and the Argonauts | Hercules | Miniseries | |
| 2002 | Birds of Prey | The Crawler | Episode: "Split" |
| 2003 | Charmed | Titan Cronos | Episode: "Oh My Goddess (Part 1 & 2)" |
| 2004 | NCIS | Master Chief Vince Nutter | Episode: "The Truth Is Out There" |
| 2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Romulan Admiral Valdore | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | Chuck | Cliff Arculin / Cliff Siljak | Episode: "Chuck Versus the Suburbs" |
| 2012 | Californication | Mr. Scary | Episode: "At the Movies" |
| Spirit of a Denture | Captain Jasper Crow | Short film | |
| 2014 | Hawaii Five-0 | Internal Affairs Detective Nicholas Cruz | Episode: "Hana Lokomaika'i" |
| 2017 | The Orville | Drogen | Episode: "Into the Fold" |
| 2018–2024 | 9-1-1 | Captain Vincent Gerrard | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | NCIS: Los Angeles | CIA Officer Steven Erdnase | Episode: "Through the Looking Glass" |
| 2025-2026 | Fallout | Coronado Elder | 2 episodes |
