Genre icon Michael Biehn is quite intimate with the apocalypse. After surviving the rigors of such classics as Aliens and The Terminator, enduring a nuclear holocaust is probably cake. Probably. Go face to face with Biehn in this exclusive video Personalities Interview and discover the method to the madness that made The Divide an experience he will never forget.
For an industry that prides itself of offering “real talk,” the reality of celebrity interviews is about as unreal as the very fantasies it spins 24/7. With actors literally held captive by their own management and publicity teams to “stay on message,” when someone breaks free, it is something to behold. That is what made sitting down with actor Michael Biehn, 55, such a refreshing change.
Biehn currently stars in French director Xavier Gens’ The Divide, a nightmarish drama that chronicles the lives of nine survivors after New York is destroyed by nuclear war. Acting in survival mode is nothing new for the Alabama-born star. With such genre classics like James Cameron’s Aliens, The Terminator and The Abyss under his belt, trying circumstances apparently were nothing compared to the intense reality of making The Divide. But, here’s the refreshing part.
During a recent press day dedicated to the film at a Beverly Hills hotel, Biehn's grizzled visage would look straight into the eyes of several interviewers to gauge their reaction of the film before cameras would roll. His is a no bullsh*t approach was striking, particularly since most of the press were knee high in awards coverage and other events.
“I’ve worked with (William) Friedkin, (James) Cameron, I’ve worked with Michael Bay,” Biehn said without hesitation. “Everybody says, ‘These guys are bad. I hear they’re difficult to work with. They’re not. None of those guys are difficult to work with. There was more tension on this set than any movie I’ve ever worked on before.”
Following a dramatic opening sequence of bombs falling from the sky, Biehn, along with co-stars Lauren German, Milo Ventimiglia, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Eklund, Ashton Holmes, Ivan Gonzalez and Rosanna Arquette take center stage in an often brutal character study. Biehn portrays Mickey, the building’s enigmatic super who has created this survival space, one he tries to control but human nature proves too powerful a force.
Trapped together in a bunker-like space, the group is quick to realize that it may have been better to die in the blast. Fear gives way to despair, but once depravity takes root, one survivor dares to seek refuge in an unknown world outside the basement.
Gens’ bid for authenticity was ultimately served by shooting the film in sequence, allowing the actors to truly manifest their emotional tailspin as days stretch on without the hope of rescue. Yet, as an added bonus, the alliances viewed on screen started to spill out of the stages. So, what was the secret emotion that helped the cast through the process?
“The actors hated each other so much,” Biehn revealed without hesitation.
With one simple statement, Biehn offered a defiant alternative to celebrity interview life: Honesty is always the best policy. Discover what other truths Biehn was eager to reveal in this first Video Personalities interview for 2012.
The Divide is now playing at the Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles and at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. Check out Fandango, MovieTickets and NCM for tickets and theater information on all Personalities movies.
Keep reading Jorge Carreon's Personalities page for exclusive celebrity profiles, including an upcoming interview with Michael Biehn of The Divide.
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