Brian Thompson is an American character actor known for physically imposing villain and genre roles in film and television, with a career spanning the 1980s to the present. He was born Brian Earl Thompson on August 28, 1959, in Ellensburg, Washington, and raised in Longview, Washington, where he began pursuing acting before finishing school[2][1]. Thompson’s first film appearance was a small role in James Cameron’s The Terminator (1984), and he gained wider attention as the villainous “Night Slasher” in Sylvester Stallone’s Cobra (1986)[2][1]. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s he became a familiar face in science-fiction and action projects, including recurring or guest roles on series such as The X‑Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Star Trek (various series), Seven Days and Moonlighting[2][1][4]. Notable film appearances include Dragonheart (1996) and the role of Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997)[2]. Thompson’s screen presence — frequently cast as imposing antagonists or nonhuman characters — is supported by a tall, muscular build and martial-arts training (black belt in Hapkido), attributes often noted in his biographies[1][2]. He has also taken on genre lead roles in television and independent projects, and in 2014 he co-wrote, produced and starred in The Extendables[2]. In recent years Thompson has continued steady television work, including a multi‑episode role as Vincent Gerrard on the Fox series 9‑1‑1 (credited across 2018–2025) and a 2025 appearance in the series Fallout, demonstrating ongoing relevance in both network and streaming genre productions[3]. He remains active professionally and is represented for bookings and guest work[4].