- 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.
- He was hired for his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) (episode "A Matter of Honor"), and then dismissed without notice before this 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.
- Received his Master's degree in Fine Arts for theatre (acting) from the University of California, Irvine.
- Windsurfs and kitesurfs to stay in shape. Hit two holes-in-one in the same year on the same golf course, same hole. Has a black belt in Hapkido.
- Is the Director of the Actor's School of Mount Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon.
- Received his Bachelor's degree in business management and engineering from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.
- Has won critical praise for his character Sheriff Cody Jeremiah Jefferson on the Fox comedy-drama series Key West (1993).
- 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).
- Has played shapeshifting 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).
- Is the only actor to appear in both the film Alien Nation (1988) and the subsequent television series Alien Nation (1989).
- Has appeared with Jeffrey Combs in three different productions: Doctor Mordrid (1992), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).
- Currently resides with his family in Kelso, Washington.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Has two children with Isabelle Mastorakis: Jordan Reese Thompson (born 1988) and Daphne Avalon (born 1990).
- Once portrayed a villain on the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995). He played the divine hero Hercules in the miniseries Jason and the Argonauts (2000).
- Has played the first character killed by the title character in The Terminator (1984) (Unless you count Bill Paxton).
- Is one of several actors to play two different villains on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Tom Lenk, Jeff Kober and Camden Toy were others.
- Attended and graduated from Mark Morris High School in Longview, Washington, where he was on the swimming and football teams.
- Rather like playing comedy.
- Has appeared in two sci-fi thriller films that concern nuclear war: The Terminator (1984) and Miracle Mile (1988).
- Has gathered some bad reputation for his portrayal of Shao Khan in the unpopular video-game movie-sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997).
- Former son-in-law of Nico Mastorakis.
- Alan Dean Foster dedicated the novelization of Terminator Salvation (2009) to a Brian Thomsen, no relation to Thompson who played a punk in The Terminator (1984).
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content