Summary
The Xenomorph is one of the most iconic monsters in movie history, and here is every actor who has played one in theAlienmovies. TheAlienfranchise has become one of the most well-known horror series of all time, with each entry in Ridley Scott’s beloved horror franchise bringing back the Xenomorph for more extraterrestrial carnage. There have been all kinds ofdifferent types of Xenomorph throughout the mainlineAlienmovies, and since they are often covered in special effects, the actors behind these fascinating creatures are rarely given the credit that they deserve.
From the originalAlienin 1979 to2024’s latest entryAlien: Romulus, all kinds of different methods have been used to bring the Xenomorph to life. Puppetry, costumes, CGI, voice acting, and more are all strategies that have been employed to create the iconicAlienmonster, with the Xenomorph requiring a massive team of puppeteers, actors, and special effects artists. While all kinds of actors have worked on variousAlienspinoff projects,these actors are the ones who played the Xenomorph in theAlienmovies.
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11Bolaji Badejo
Alien
When it comes to Xenomorph actors in theAlienfranchise, the most well-known one by far is Bolaji Badejo. While working on the originalAlien, casting director Peter Archer struggled to find an actor tall and thin enough to play the Xenomorph, with this being one of the big struggles of the film’s pre-production. However,Archer eventually discovered Badejo at a student bar, with him eventually tracking him down and asking him to play the first incarnation of the Xenomorph.
Most of theXenomorph’s appearances in 1979’sAlienwere Badejo in a costume, with the 6 feet 10 inches tall actor perfectly bringing the creature to life.Alienwas Badejo’s sole acting credit, and although he was offered a role inAliens, he didn’t reprise his Xenomorph part due to him having moved back to Nigeria in 1980. Although Badejo played the Xenomorph only once, he had a massive role in defining the creature and its physicality.
10Andrew Crawford
Alien: Covenant
TheAlienfranchise brought on a lot of various types of talent to bring the Xenomorph to life, with 2017’sAlien: Covenantusing Australian dancer Andrew Crawford. Crawford portrayed theNeomorph in thePrometheussequel, the pale proto-Xenomorph that was created by David during his years of isolation. The terrifying Neomorph clearly shares a bond with David, although the violence of the humans brings out the Neomorph’s own violence.
When compared to previous incarnations of the Xenomorph, the Neomorph is a lot quicker and more graceful, darting around the room at high speeds. Because of this, it makes sense to bring on a dancer like Crawford when doing the motion capture for this creature, allowing for a much more nimbleAlienantagonist.
9Percy Edwards
Percy Edwards is an interesting addition to the Xenomorph’s history, as he is the one who gave the terrifyingAlienmonsters their voice. Edwards was a ornithologist who also excelled as a voice actor, with him doing impressions of animals. Edwards lent his talents to several movies and TV shows throughout the 1970s, and while these were mostly pre-existing animals, 1979’sAliengave him the unique challenge of coming up with a voice for a new creature.
Despite his role being uncredited,Edwards' performance in the originalAlienis one of the most important in the franchise. As the first voice of the Xenomorph, Edwards' defined what the creature would sound like for decades to come, with recent additions likeAlien: Covenantstill using the original film’s Xenomorph as a starting point.
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8Archie Hahn
Alien: Resurrection
Archie Hahn is a well-known actor who has appeared in many popular films and TV shows, such asThis Is Spinal Tap,Gremlins 2: The New Batch, andPolice Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach. However, he is most well-known for his appearances on the improv comedy seriesWhose Line Is It Anyway?, on which he frequently appeared.
However, theAlienfranchise didn’t bring Hahn on for his comedic or live-action acting talents, with him instead lending his voice to the filmAlien: Resurrection. Alongside musician Joan La Barbara, Hahn provided the voice of theNewborn, the human-Xenomorph hybridthat appears at the end of the film. Hahn’s role as the Newborn is unique in his filmography, and while it is one of the most significant characters that he has played, he is rarely mentioned when discussing the legacy of theAlienfranchise.
7Goran D. Kleut
Goran D. Kleut is an Australian actor who has appeared in all kinds of major franchise films, such asStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, andFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga. Kleut also appears in theAlienfranchise as part of the sixth mainline entry and the second film in theAlienprequel series,Alien: Covenant.
InAlien: Covenant,Kleut portrays two types of Xenomorph. The first of these is the Neomorph, the pale creation of David that is also portrayed by dancer Andrew Crawford. Kleut also portrays the Praetomorph, the engineered alien that would go on to be the ancestor of the more well-known Xenomorph species. The Praetomorph can be seen near the end ofAlien: Covenant, with it attacking the ship as it attempts to leave the planet’s surface and return to theCovenant.
6Joan La Barbara
Joan La Barbara is a musician and voice actor who is most known for her unique style of music, with many of her fans not knowing that she actually played the Xenomorph. Due to her unique sound and impressive vocal range,Joan La Barbara was brought on toAlien: Resurrectionin order to help bring the Xenomorph to life.
InAlien: Resurrection, Joan La Barbara is the voice of the Newborn, the terrifying human-Xenomorph hybrid at the end of the film.Alien: Resurrectionwas the vocalist’s first film role, but she did an incredible job as the Newborn, bringing a unique sound to the creature that allows for it to be more sympathetic and human than the other types of Xenomorph.
5Eddie Powell
Alien & Aliens
Eddie Powell is a stunt performer who appeared as the Xenomorph early in theAlienfranchise, with him pulling off the rare feat of portraying the creature in more than one movie.Powell first played the Xenomorph in 1979’sAlien, with him being uncredited for his role in the scene in which Brett and Dallas are attacked by the Xenomorph.
Powell returned for a bigger role in the sequel filmAliens, in which he played a new type of Xenomorph: the Alien Warrior. These Xenomorph Drones are seen frequently throughoutAliens, with their massive numbers making life much harder for Ripley and her gang of space marines. Powell played several of these Xenomorph inAliens, although it isn’t known exactly which ones he was.
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4David Prior
David Prior is another actor who helped bring the Xenomorph to life, with him being one of the several actors who worked on the creature inAlien: Resurrection. Very little is known about Prior’s work on the filmdue to his role being uncredited, with not much having been said about his time inAlien: Resurrection. However, it is known that he played the Xenomorph in the movie, while many other Xenomorph scenes were created using puppetry or CGI.
3Roy Scammell
Roy Scammell is a stunt performer and actor who has worked on several major films, such asA Clockwork Orange,GoldenEye, and 1979’sAlien. Scammell acted as a stunt coordinator on the firstAlienfilm, although he did end up portraying the Xenomorph in certain scenes.
Scammell appears in costume as theXenomorph in the alien’s final appearance, in which it is sucked out of the airlock. It is unknown why Scammell portrayed the Xenomorph in this scene instead of the other Xenomorph actors, although it could be because the airlock stunt was more dangerous than the other moments in the film. However, this means that Scammell was the face behind the Xenomorph mask in one of the creature’s most iconic scenes.
2Carl Toop
Aliens
Carl Toop is another interesting addition to theAlienfranchise, as his role playing the Xenomorph inAlienswas his only acting credit. Alongside Eddie Powell, Toop portrayed the Alien Warriors in theAliensequel, with him helping to bring the Xenomorph Drones to life. Toop was always in the Xenomorph costume,using his body to create the terrifying physicality seen in the Xenomorph throughout the film.
