Brian Earl Thompson is an American actor born on August 28, 1959, in Ellensburg, Washington. After earning a degree in Business Administration from Central Washington University, he chose to pursue acting and went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts in Drama from the University of California, Irvine. Standing 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall with a distinctive, imposing presence, Thompson quickly became one of Hollywood's most recognizable character actors, frequently portraying villains, warriors, military figures, and supernatural characters. He made his feature film debut in James Cameron's The Terminator (1984), portraying one of the punks confronted by the Terminator during the film's iconic opening sequence. Throughout the following decades, he built an extensive career with memorable performances in films such as Cobra, Three Fugitives, Kindergarten Cop, Dragonheart, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and The Order. Television audiences also know him for prominent roles in Werewolf, Kindred: The Embraced, The X-Files—where he portrayed the Alien Bounty Hunter—Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Enterprise, NCIS, Chicago Fire, and many other series. Buffy fans remember him as Luke, the Master's powerful vampire lieutenant in the opening episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where his intimidating performance helped establish the dark and dangerous atmosphere of the series. With a career spanning more than four decades, Thompson has become a cult favorite among fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and action, thanks to his commanding screen presence and his memorable portrayals of iconic villains.