A Favorite Character
For Michael Biehn, the role of Johnny Ringo was a chance of a lifetime. He said he loved playing his character and really connected to his personality. It was a challenging role as Johnny was a complex character, though he enjoyed it nevertheless. If he had to rank his favorite parts, Johnny Ringo would have been near the top along with his portrayal of Kyle Reese from “The Terminator”. It’s no coincidence that Biehn has a special fondness for these roles, as these two characters actually have a lot in common.
Biehn says that Reese was almost a futuristic version of Johnny Ringo and there were many similarities in their characters. It’s no surprise then that Biehn would connect with these two characters and rank them among his favorite to play. He certainly did the job well as they are two iconic characters from equally legendary movies.
A Legendary Scene
The scene where Jonny Ringo is shot by Doc Holliday is one of the favorites among the cast and crew of "Tombstone". Speaking about the impact of the scene, Sam Elliott described the acting as “incredible.” He was quoted in an interview saying that they were both so good and that he knew the moment was going to go all the way through the movie.
The dramatic tension was fitting for such a movie, adding to the atmosphere and bringing the story together in a climactic moment. It certainly left fans entertained and encouraged them to give the film the great reviews it deserved.
That Adrenaline Rush
Holliday was not the only one to enjoy the thrills in life. As Biehn said of his character, Johnny Ringo, he liked to live on the edge from which he would get an adrenaline rush, especially if his life was in danger. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to do in the Old West except sit around and drink, so for Johnny, who sought out the thrills in life, things could get a little dull.
Biehn explains Johnny’s day-to-day was made mostly up of sitting around in hot and stuffy saloons and drinking warm beers (there was no air conditioning back then). In an interview, Biehn said that his character was just a guy who had a real thirst for adventure. Biehn continued saying “and it’s Tombstone, and if you’ve ever been down there, it’s hot all the time, so it would be pretty miserable if you ask me.” We don’t think it’s surprising that Johnny got himself into sticky situations all the time, but then again, he lived for them!
Tombstone Was the “Bubble Gum” Version of a Western
While Michael Biehn had a lot of praise for "Tombstone", he did also have some criticism. The actor recognized the film’s contribution to re-energizing the Western film genre in the early ’90s, but said that the film, “ain’t history”. And even though he enjoyed his role as Johnny Ringo and his time on set, he compared it to “the latest pop hit.” Perhaps he feels that "Tombstone" is a watered-down version of other Western classics?
He does, however, credit Kevin Jarre, who wrote the script. According to Biehn, "Tombstone" was a success because it had a great script and that’s why it was played by such Hollywood greats like Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. The cast was filled with big names, each of them giving the performance of their careers. These screen legends included Sam Elliott who has since been nominated for an Oscar, Billy Paxton, Billy Zane, Thomas Haden Church, Jason Priestly, Powers Boothe, Frank Stallone, and even Billy Bob Thornton.
The Movie Was Fun
With all these legends around on set, it wouldn’t surprise you to know that it was actually a lot of fun to film. Michael Biehn has been vocal about the movie’s shortcomings, calling it a “bubble gum version” as well as the problems with production, sacking Kevin Jarre, and bringing in George Cosmatos very early on — and even he still reflected on how much fun it was to make.
It wasn’t just the making of the movie that was fun but the film itself. Helped by its excellent script and some equally great performances but some of the world’s best actors. The fun they had on set definitely translated onto the screen, and as Michael Biehn puts it, “By the time it got cut together, and I saw it, I thought it was really good.” The audience clearly felt the fun too as it got a lot of laughs. Perhaps it was the gun twirling or the excellent script that people could quote. The characters enjoyed their roles and played them well, which added to the fun and enjoyment.