Line #90 Creator/LanceHenriksen


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LanceHenriksen_7779.jpg]]
2	->''"My feeling is, I do a lot of low-budget films. I don't do low-budget acting. I have no interest in just goofballing my way through, thinking, 'Ah, no one's ever going to see this anyway.'"''
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4	Lance James Henriksen (born May 5, 1940 in Manhattan, New York) is a veteran American actor who is best known for his work in various fantasy and sci-fi projects over the last five decades, along with his prominent voice work in various video games and animated series over the last decade.
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6	Born in New York, Henriksen floated through various jobs until he hit his 30's, where he took a course at the Actors Studio and began appearing in small but memorable parts in films like ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'', ''Film/{{Network}}'' and ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind''. His big break came in 1984 when Henriksen, who had just appeared in ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning'', was cast by director Creator/JamesCameron in the role of Detective Vukovich in ''Film/TheTerminator''. That role led to a career-defining role for Henriksen as the android Bishop in ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', which brought immediate fame. Henriksen would appear in many more projects over the years, ranging from westerns and vampire horror films to DirectToDVD sci-fi and fantasy films.
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8	Part of Henriksen's fame comes from his distinctive, gruff voice, which he has used to great effect as imposing authority figures and stern fathers in various roles over the years (the alpha-male gorilla, Kerchack, from ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' being one of the most recognized). He has also lent his voice to several notable video game franchises - he voiced Admiral Steven Hackett in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' franchise, General Shepherd in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2'' and appeared as Karl Bishop Weyland in the 2010 ''Aliens Vs. Predator'' video game.
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10	To date, Henriksen has starred in nearly 200 film and television projects, and continues to appear in several projects each year.
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12	He and Creator/BillPaxton also hold one of the most interesting distinctions of {{Chronically Killed Actor}}s: They are the only two actors to have been killed by an [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Alien]], a {{Franchise/Terminator}} and a {{Franchise/Predator}} - Paxton had the slight advantage though, as Henriksen is killed off-screen in ''Film/TheTerminator''.
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14	!Selected filmography:
15
16	[[AC:Anime]]
17	* Andrei Rublev in the English dub of ''Anime/IGPXImmortalGrandPrix''
18
19	[[AC:Film - Animation]]
20	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' (1999) -- Kerchak
21	* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBrainiacAttacks'' (2006) -- Brainiac
22
23	[[AC:Film - Live-Action]]
24	* ''Film/EmperorOfTheNorth'' (1973) -- Railroad worker
25	* ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' (1975) -- Murphy
26	* ''Film/{{Network}}'' (1976) -- Network lawyer
27	* ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' (1977) -- Robert
28	* ''Film/DamienOmenII'' (1978) -- Sgt. Neff
29	* ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning'' (1981) -- Police Chief Steve Kimbrough
30	* ''Film/{{Nightmares}}'' (1983) -- [=MacLeod=]
31	* ''Film/TheRightStuff'' (1983) -- Wally Schirra
32	* ''Film/TheTerminator'' (1984) -- Detective Hal Vukovich
33	* ''Film/JaggedEdge'' -- Frank Martin
34	* ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' (1986) -- Bishop
35	* ''Film/NearDark'' (1987) -- Jesse Hooker
36	* ''Film/{{Pumpkinhead}}'' (1988) -- Ed Harley
37	* ''Film/TheHorrorShow'' (1989) -- Det. [=McCarthy=]
38	* ''Film/JohnnyHandsome'' (1989) -- Rafe Garrett
39	* ''Film/SurvivalQuest'' (1989) -- Hank Chambers
40	* ''Film/{{The Pit and the Pendulum\|1991}}'' (1991) -- Torquemada
41	* ''Film/StoneCold'' (1991) -- Chains Cooper
42	* ''Film/Alien3'' (1992) -- Bishop II
43	* ''Film/{{Super Mario Bros\|1993}}'' (1993) -- The King
44	* ''Film/HardTarget'' (1993) -- Emil Fouchon
45	* ''Film/MansBestFriend'' (1993) -- Dr. Jarret
46	* ''Film/ColorOfNight'' (1994) -- Buck
47	* ''Film/TheQuickAndTheDead'' (1995) -- Ace Hanlon
48	* ''Film/DeadMan'' (1995) -- Cole Wilson
49	* ''Film/{{Powder}}'' (1995) -- Sheriff Barnum
50	* ''Film/TheNatureOfTheBeast'' (1995) -- Jack Powell
51	* ''Film/TheDayLincolnWasShot'' (1998) -- UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln (TV movie)
52	* ''Film/Scream3'' (2000) -- John Milton
53	* ''Film/TheMangler2'' (2001) -- Headmaster Bradeen
54	* ''[[Film/{{Mimic}} Mimic 3: Sentinel]]'' (2003) -- Garbageman
55	* ''Film/AVPAlienVsPredator'' (2004) -- Charles Bishop Weyland
56	* ''Film/{{Starkweather}}'' (2004) -- The Mentor
57	* ''Film/HellraiserHellworld'' (2005) -- The Host
58	* ''Film/PumpkinheadAshesToAshes'' (2006) -- Ed Harley
59	* ''Film/WhenAStrangerCalls'' (2006) -- Stranger (voice only)[[note]]Tommy Flanagan played the Stranger, but Henriksen provided the voice over the phone.[[/note]]
60	* ''Film/{{Abominable}}'' (2006) -- Ziegler Dane
61	* ''Film/PumpkinheadBloodFeud'' (2007) -- Ed Harley
62	* ''Film/PrairieFever'' (2008) -- Monte James
63	* ''Film/JennifersBody'' (2009) -- Motorist
64	* ''Film/TheSlamminSalmon'' (2009) -- Dick Lobo
65	* ''Film/ScreamersTheHunting'' (2009) -- Orsow
66	* ''Film/MonsterBrawl'' (2011) -- God (the disembodied announcer)
67	* ''Film/ScreamOfTheBanshee'' (2011) -- Broderick Duncan (TV movie)
68	* ''Film/CutToTheChase'' (2016) -- The Man/John Mansfield
69	* ''Film/DaylightsEnd'' (2016) -- Former chief of Detectives Frank Hill
70	* ''Film/MomAndDad'' (2017) -- Mel Ryan
71	* ''Film/{{Falling}}'' (2020) -- Willis
72	* ''Film/TheArtificeGirl'' (2022) -- Gareth
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74	[[AC:Live-Action Television]]
75	* ''Series/RyansHope'' (1980) -- Preston Pose
76	* ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' (1983) -- Johnny Nose
77	* ''Series/TheATeam'' (1984) -- Mack Dalton
78	* ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' (1990-1991) -- Reno Crevice/Sergeant Ripper
79	* ''Series/{{Millennium\|1996}}'' (1996-1999) -- Frank Black
80	* ''Series/TheXFiles'' (1999) -- Frank Black
81	* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' (2009) -- Sheriff Clay Boyd
82	* ''Series/{{Castle\|2009}}'' (2010) -- Benny Stryker
83	* ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' (2013) -- Lawrence Wells (Cameo)
84	* ''Series/IntoTheBadlands'' (2015-2017) -- Penrith
85	* ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' (2016) -- [[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica Todd Rice / Obsidian]] [[note]]TimeShiftedActor for the 1987 version of the character. The 1942 version is played by Dan Payne.[[/note]]
86	* ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' (2016) -- Griffin [=McColl=]
87	* ''Series/CriminalMinds'' (2016) -- Chazz Montolo
88	* ''Series/TheNightShift'' (2016) -- Clive
89	* ''Series/TheBlacklist'' (2015-2016) -- Bill [=McCready=]
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91	[[AC:Video Games]]
92	* ''VideoGame/RedFactionII'' (2002) -- Molov
93	* ''VideoGame/{{Gun}}'' (2005) -- Magruder
94	* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' (2007) -- Admiral Hackett
95	* ''VideoGame/AssaultOnDarkAthena'' (2009) -- Dacher
96	* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2'' (2009) -- General Shepherd
97	* ''[[VideoGame/AliensVsPredator2010 Aliens vs. Predator]]'' (2010) -- Karl Bishop Weyland
98	* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' (2010) -- Admiral Hackett
99	* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' (2012) -- Admiral Hackett
100	* ''VideoGame/AliensColonialMarines'' (2013) -- Bishop / Michael Weyland
101	* ''VideoGame/DetroitBecomeHuman'' (2018) -- Carl Manfred
102	* ''VideoGame/TheQuarry'' (2022) -- Jedediah
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104	[[AC:Western Animation]]
105	* ''WesternAnimation/GrimAndEvil'' (2001-2002) -- General Skarr
106	* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' (2008-2009) -- Lockdown
107	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' (2010) -- Eric Williams / Grim Reaper
108	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' (2012-2014) -- The Lieutenant
109	* ''WesternAnimation/TRONUprising'' (2012-2013) -- General Tesler
110	* ''WesternAnimation/AllHailKingJulien'' (2015) -- Doc Sugarfoot
111	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles\|2012}}'' (2015) -- Zog the Triceraton
112	* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' -- (2018-2020) The Baron
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114	----
115	!Tropes embodied by Henriksen and his work include:
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117	* BigfootSasquatchAndYeti: He's got a particular repertoire for being in many, many movies about the cryptic ape creature.
118	* ChronicallyKilledActor: He and the late Creator/BillPaxton are the only two actors to have been killed by a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Alien]], a {{Franchise/Terminator}} and a {{Franchise/Predator}}.
119	* CreatorBacklash:
120	** His first film role was in a 1972 snowmobile movie called ''It Ain't Easy'', and a film he considers to be his worst.
121	** He also doesn't look fondly on ''Film/Alien3'', as the commentary and documentary "Wreckage and Rage" for the DVD and Blu-Ray both feature him stating bluntly that he finds the film nihilistic, the latter even seeing him agree with fan criticism about the convicts being hard to root for due to their nature as murderers and rapists, and finding Ripley sleeping with Clemens to be out-of-character.
122	* DoingItForTheArt: He has no aversion to acting in lower-budget films, and with ''Film/{{Pumpkinhead}}'' in particular, he personally purchased a plethora of items (a WWI shotgun, old silver dollars, etc.) and got the makeup department to make him false teeth just so he could inhabit the role of Ed Harley more effectively.
123	* DyeingForYourArt: Grew his own beard to play Abraham Lincoln.
124	* EvilSoundsDeep: Whenever he plays a villain, expect this trope to be in full effect.
125	* MoneyDearBoy: As noted above, he has over 200 roles in his resume.
126	-->I went through a phase where I was being invited to Eastern Europe to do these movies. And I thought: It's a payday. It's an adventure. I never thought they'd be shown in America. I really didn't... I call them jet-lag movies, because I always got there feeling jet-lagged and then we'd start shooting the next day.
127	** [[AwesomeDearBoy On the other hand]], many of those are in NoBudget productions, because he likes the challenge. He also takes pride in never half-assing it either way and many can attest he's usually the best thing about said films.
128	* NeverLearnedToRead: Not until he was 30.
129	* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: As can be seen from the page quote, Henriksen will always do his best with the role and material he's given and will usually end up being the best thing in said work as a result.
130	* TypeCasting: Deadpan, imposing, monotone father-figure character. At times, instead of a father figure it's a villain.
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Context Creator / LanceHenriksen