Unfortunately for the filmmakers, some of Hicks’ scenes had already been shot, resulting in reshoots and clever editing to insert Biehn’s replacement take on the role. As Remar noted, at this point ‘y ou didn’t get sent to rehab’ when caught with drugs, meaning the production fired him after about a month of filming and replaced him with Terminator star Biehn. In The Movies That Made Us season 3, Remar opens up about his drug problems while working on the sequel, admitting that his London apartment was raided by police who found hash and heroin. However, several unfortunate incidents resulted in Remar eventually being replaced by Biehn. Originally, actor James Remar was cast as the character and had a darker take on the role. However, Hicks was not always such a placid figure. Related: The Original Predator Design Was An Alien Inspired Monster Played by Michael Biehn, Hicks was a strong but likable presence well-liked by many viewers of the Alien movies.
Among the tough heroes was Hicks, one of few figures to make it out of Aliens alive alongside Sigourney Weaver’s franchise heroine Ripley. Where the cast of Alien was an unfortunate crew of working stiffs who proved entirely unprepared for the Xenomorph’s attacks, the cast of Aliens was hardened space marines who were more than ready to fight off the titular threat with serious firepower.
Where director Ridley Scott’s original Alien was sparse, claustrophobic survival horror, James Cameron’s sequel was an action-forward thrill ride that dispensed with the small-scale chases and replaced them with big guns and bloody mayhem. Released in 1986, Aliens was radically different from Alien, its franchise predecessor. Director James Cameron’s Aliens originally cast actor James Remar as Hicks, but the Alien sequel replaced the troubled star due to his off-set behavior.