UFOctober: ALIEN (1979)
The horror genre is no stranger to aliens or space, but few movies have reset the balance like ALIEN (1979). It’s my favorite Ridley Scott film because it’s an atmospheric, creepy epic that proves listening to women is sometimes the key to survival. It’s the first movie that comes to mind when I think of Sigourney Weaver, who became the blueprint for the final woman. Final women are possibly more important than final girls because they remind us that there is life after the age of 25. I love watching filmbros cry, “it’s not horror,” even though it's clearly terrifying and the tagline is “In space, no one can hear you scream.” While there is a ton of cool stuff, a stacked cast, and the fact that it launched a franchise that is still going today, the main reason I needed to gush about this gem is because of the Xenomorph.
ALIEN is a crucial part of my horror origin story. As a ‘90s kid who grew up watching edited-for-TV throwbacks on TNT, TBS, and my mom’s VHS recordings with commercials, there was added suspense. There were also ample opportunities to rewatch this movie repeatedly and sear it into my brain. However, it wasn’t until this decade that I discovered yet another reason to stan this banger. The person inside the alien was Bolaji Badejo, who is such an underappreciated part of this film that rerouted sci-horror for the better.
This Nigerian performer is so overlooked even though he was the baddest to ever Xenomorph. Without him, our creature wouldn’t have been as cool, scary, or formidable. Badejo was discovered by being in the right place at the right time (a London pub). His height stood out to Scott, and he knew this person had to be on the team. At the time, Badejo was a 6″10 26-year-old graphic arts student. So, it’s not surprising that ALIEN was his only film credit or that he turned down his invitation to be part of the sequel. He instead opted out of the Hollywood creature club and returned to Nigeria and ran an art gallery. Sadly, he passed away on December 22, 1992, at the age of 39 from sickle cell disease.
This means he wasn’t alive to see where the franchise went after ALIEN III, or the way the internet latched onto his character. He especially wasn’t around when we all discovered he was in the costume all along. I can’t imagine a world where Blerds like me wouldn’t have stood in lines at cons to get his autograph and thank him for being one of the few Black people in space in an era where there were so few. His sick physicality is the stuff of nightmares and part of the reason this movie stands the test of time. We all watched this creature move through this spaceship, leaving no prisoners until Ripley (Weaver) finally outsmarts it.
The images of the Xenomorph running around USCSS Nostromo are priceless. Those scenes are why we know a good monster moment never goes out of style and that practical effects are always the correct choice. I know it takes a team to pull all of this off and make it look great, but Badejo is the nearly forgotten star in space here. While he only has the one credit on his filmography, it doesn’t take away from how instrumental this role is in the genre or this franchise. It is also super important for Black folks to know there was someone besides Yaphet Kotto in this cast. More importantly, another Black man had a very crucial role and was allowed to be the problem. We love to see it!
I personally wish we lived in a timeline where Badejo and Weaver battled it out for all her sequels. Even the installments I didn’t particularly care for. However, we rarely get what we want in life. Anyways, if you haven’t already rewatched ALIEN for this UFOctober please do so this week. When you do, think about the man inside the costume and raise a glass (or snack) because we owe him a lot more than we know. I also highly recommend you track down the few behind-the-scenes photos of him in his costume because they warm my cold little heart every time.
By all accounts, it seems like Badejo would’ve hated the attention his fans would’ve eagerly given him. He did very little press for the movie, and I have only managed to find one interview myself. Yet, his legacy’s impact and importance as more of us discover him and revisit ALIEN cannot be overstated. He took one small step for a graphic arts student, and one giant (albeit quiet) step for Black kids who love sci-fi. I beg you to remember his name when you rank actors who played creatures. Or when you highlight Black actors whose contributions deserve more praise. Hell, even just when you discuss the cast of ALIEN, it would be cool to mention Bolaji Badejo’s name among the others we think of when we think of this space nightmare.
