Actor Michael Biehn has had a long and varied career, but to hear him tell it, his experience shooting his new film The Divide and other events surrounding its production may have marked a change in his professional attitude and outlook. In addition to starring as ex-firefighter turned survivalist Mickey in the post-apocalyptic thriller, which finds a group of New York City neighbors trapped together in the basement of their apartment building in the aftermath of a possible nuclear strike, Biehn has also turned his attention to life behind the camera. With Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, his wife and producer/costar, Biehn’s recently completed directorial debut, The Victim, just sold to Anchor Bay Films, and will now see a release later this year. On Friday, I had a chance to participate in a press day for The Divide, talking with Biehn about his instincts for “polishing a turd,” his reasons for finally jumping behind the camera, and the incredible on-set tension on The Divide. Oh, and ousted Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi also came up. The interview is excerpted over at ShockYa, minus Biehn’s thoughts on the current state of hip hop, so click here for the full read.