There are a lot of powerful actors out there who are instantly associated with the Western genre. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are the most notable, but there’s also Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, Kevin Costner, and a whole band of others. Although Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer aren’t traditionally Western stars, when it comes to Tombstone, they’ve made a real name for themselves as some of the genre’s best. But there’s one other actor from this 1993 epic that should’ve been given a bigger spotlight following his work in the film, and that’s none other than Michael Biehn, who played the smiley outlaw Johnny Ringo, one of the quickest guns in the West. If we had it our way, Tombstone would’ve been the first of many Biehn-featured Westerns as he impressed audiences everywhere with his exceptional range while playing against his usual action hero type. We love Michael Biehn in Tombstone, and here’s why.
‘Tombstone’ Is an Excellent Western for Many Reasons
There are countless reasons to love Tombstone. The commitment to historical detail and the period-accurate costuming, the fantastic script with memorable lines such as “I’ll be your huckleberry,” and the groundbreaking performances by Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday (among others) all elevate this Western classic above many of its contemporaries. The early ’90s was a great period for the horse opera, as Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves likewise pushed the boundaries of the genre just before the turn of the century. But there’s one character who is just as important to Tombstone as any other, and that’s Michael Biehn’s Johnny Ringo. If Ringo’s name sounds familiar, that might be because of the Gregory Peck classic The Gunfighter, in which that Hollywood legend played Jimmy Ringo, who himself was likewise based on the real-life Johnny Ringo. But Biehn’s character isn’t the hero this time around.
What Makes Michael Biehn So Great in ‘Tombstone’?
As a red-sashed, black-hatted member of the Cowboys, the outlaw gang that terrorizes the town of Tombstone, Ringo is a powerful shot and an aggravated road agent with a major chip on his shoulder. He has no problem killing anyone who gets in his path, and in the character’s introduction at the beginning of the film (where the Cowboys execute those at a Mexican wedding) he mercilessly shoots a priest before translating the holy man’s words, quoting the biblical Book of Revelation. Talk about an explosive entrance. From this moment alone, as Ringo coolly stands in the background while the Cowboys raid the would-be wedding feast, we understand the depths of his depravity. Biehn plays it here as naturally as any part in his impressive filmography, but adds a crazed look to the outlaw’s eye that makes him stand out in the Western genre’s Hall of Villains.
Whether Biehn is playing the character as a calm antagonist, a drunk gunslinger, or an irked adversary trying to coax Doc Holliday into a fight, Johnny Ringo is a major force to be reckoned with. His cocky, shoot-first attitude and unrepentant demeanor makes him the worst of all the Cowboys, and “Curly Bill” Brocius (Powers Booth) and Sherman McMasters (Michael Rooker) hardly come close. Though Ringo only appears in a handful of scenes, he manages to make the sort of impact on Tombstone that Darth Vader had on the original Star Wars despite not having too much screen time. What’s crazier is that, according to Biehn on an episode of the Inside of You podcast, much of his character’s arc with the Cowboys was cut from the final film. Despite that, Ringo is a looming threat that hovers over the Earp brothers and Holliday, and though he’s a bit out of sorts on occasion, he can still draw quicker than most.
‘Tombstone’s Johnny Ringo Plays Against Michael Biehn’s Usual Action Hero Type
During the height of Michael Biehn’s career, the actor was primarily known for playing action heroes. In The Terminator, he played Sgt. Kyle Reese, the future resistance fighter who travels through time to save Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). In Aliens, he plays Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, a Colonial Marine who plows his way through a horde of Xenomorphs alongside Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). He also played a Navy SEAL in both James Cameron’s The Abyss and Michael Bay’s The Rock. Needless to say, Biehn’s most notable roles always put him in the part of the hero, and we loved him for that. No, he wasn’t as famous as many of his ’80s and ’90s co-stars, but he was just as excellent on the screen. So, when Tombstone cast Biehn against his usual type, it’s understandable that some may have thought he wasn’t right for the part. Boy, were they wrong.
Biehn manages to make Johnny Ringo menacing, captivating, and downright unlikable, and we cannot look away. This gunslinging outlaw is the complete anthesis to any of Biehn’s usual roles, but he plays Ringo with the same dedication he always gives. With the mustache and the black hat, you might not even recognize Michael Biehn at first. His performance as Johnny Ringo feels just as natural as his screen time as Kyle Reese, though these two characters couldn’t be more different. With the backdrop of the Western genre, the film makes it clear that Biehn can do just about anything. By the time we get to that fabulous showdown between Ringo and Holliday, we already know how things are going to end, but we almost wish we’d had more time with the gunslinger.
It’s a shame that Biehn wasn’t cast in more Western outlaw roles such as Johnny Ringo. The Tombstone actor has a real talent for playing this type of gunslinger, and could easily have played the leading man in a ’90s theatrical Western in the same vein as The Dollars Trilogy or Pale Rider. Or, if he was hoping to play another villainous role, maybe something more akin to The Wild Bunch. Of course, combining the action heroics of his Terminator and Aliens roles with the atmosphere and aesthetic of Tombstone might’ve been a game changer for Biehn, who was often typecast in military roles (usually in science fiction).
‘Yellow Rock’ Showcases Michael Biehn’s Acting Skills – and Is an Underrated Western
Biehn may be well known for his work on Tombstone, but in 2011 he starred in another Western: Yellow Rock. Biehn plays Tom Hanner, a tracker who’s approached by Max Dietrich (James Russo), who needs his help finding his missing family members. Hanner accepts, but the harsh terrain of the West and the past threaten to consume them all. Yellow Rock showcases Biehn’s range, especially in scenes regarding Hanner’s past. Hanner turns out to have taken the job because he’s still grieving the death of his son, with Biehn looking appropriately haunted. It’s a far cry from his cocky, antagonistic turn as Ringo in Tombstone.
Despite Biehn’s stellar performance, Yellow Rock is a mixed bag. Scenes involving Indigenous characters are chock-full of outdated tropes, such as a cursed graveyard and mysterious wolves that show up when Dietrich’s group crosses into “forbidden lands.” It also feels like the costume department aimed to trigger memories of other Westerns, with Biehn donning a poncho resembling Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name. One member of the Dietrich gang is even dressed like Doc Holliday in Tombstone. Even with its bumps, however, Yellow Rock proves that Biehn could headline his own Western if given the chance.
Michael Biehn Also Starred in ‘The Magnificent Seven’ TV Series
Fans might remember that there’s actually one other notable Western character that Biehn added to his filmography in the late ’90s, one that felt a little more in-step with the actor’s usual performances. In 1998, Biehn was cast in the CBS Western drama series titled The Magnificent Seven. A remake of the 1960 film of the same name, Biehn played the leading role of Chris Larabee, a gunslinger with a tortured past who leads a band of seven men as they protect a frontier town without the benefit of the law.
Though the series only ran two seasons, Biehn’s performance here is as strong as ever, and Chris Larabee is easily one of the most underrated characters of his career. Unlike his work as Ringo, Larabee is a strong, morally-upright gunslinger just short of being a genuine hero who is devastated by the murder of his wife and son. It’s his own personal struggles with injustice that prompts Larabee to unite the Seven and aid a small Native American village against a merciless company of Confederate soldiers. From there, he and his allies stick around to help the little guy, and plenty of Western-fueled drama and action ensues. It’s a great show, if only it had run just a little longer.
Between Tombstone and The Magnificent Seven, it’s clear that Michael Biehn not only had the ability to play different types of classical Western heroes and villains, but also a real interest in revisiting the genre. The actor had once cited Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven as his favorite Western back in 2010, and hoped to see a greater resurgence in the genre following films like Cowboys & Aliens and the Coen Brothers’ True Grit remake.
A decade later, we’re living in a modern renaissance of Western content of our own, with both traditional and contemporary takes on the genre thriving. It might be time for Biehn to show us again what he’s made of. He’s already shown up in The Mandalorian, itself something of a Space Western, and given his history with the sci-fi genre, he might be perfect for a Weird Western such as Outer Range. While nothing will likely beat his powerful performance in Tombstone, there’s no denying that Michael Biehn deserves to be in more Westerns going forward. After all these years, it seems like the time is now for Biehn to get back in the saddle.