Ed Harris played Virgil “Bud” Brigman in James Cameron’s The Abyss.
Bud Brigman is the foreman of the underwater drilling team at the center of the film. When a damaged submarine sinks near the deep-sea platform, Bud and the crew are drawn into a dangerous recovery mission that becomes an encounter with an unknown intelligence.
Harris’s performance anchors the film’s human drama. Bud’s difficult relationship with his estranged wife, Lindsey, develops alongside the technical and physical dangers of the underwater operation. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio played Lindsey Brigman.
The production became known for demanding underwater filming and extensive practical work. Harris’s character is also central to the film’s different versions, including the longer Special Edition, which expands the story’s ending and themes.