The Real Horror Of Alien Was Being Trapped Inside The Xenomorph Suit
When we get a glimpse of the fully-grown xenomorph in Ridley Scott's "Alien" for the first time, the dread felt by the crew aboard the Nostromo is immediately heightened to new levels. An apex predator with an unforgettably imposing structure, the xenomorph faithfully embodies the moniker of the "perfect organism" as it hunts, covets, and adapts ruthlessly throughout the film. Nigerian visual artist Bolaji Badejo donned the suit of this legendary creature for Scott's film, bringing the xenomorph to life in a way that would cement its legacy as one of the most recognizable monsters in horror.
The xenomorph suit, whose design and structural aesthetics were created by H.R. Giger, consisted of a dozen pieces that had to be put together on top of a one-piece suit. The alien's elongated headpiece, which was detachable and went on last, was once likened by Bolaji to "having your head stuck up the middle of a huge banana." While Bolaji's experience with the suit was rather uncomfortable, other artists who played the xenomorph did not have the luxury of working with detachable costume pieces. Special effects supervisor Tom Woodruff Jr., who worked on several "Alien" sequels starting with "Aliens," had to don a rather cumbersome un-detachable suit when he brought the creature to life in 1997's "Alien Resurrection" (via Vanity Fair).
While the weight of the elongated, fiberglass head would have been reason enough for Woodruff's discomfort, he often had to isolate himself on the "Alien" set while others went to lunch. This also meant no bathroom breaks as long as he was trapped inside the suit and staying still during scenes that were especially demanding. Thankfully, the crew of "Alien: Covenant" managed to come up with a way to feed Woodruff water through a tube while he was still inside the suit.
No detachable head
While Bolaji's suit allowed him to move around pretty freely due to its detachable nature, Woodruff's xenomorph suit was cinched to a custom skull cap that was connected to his chest (glue was used to make this meeting point appear seamless). Getting into the suit was a big enough chore on its own, but staying inside it without any means to remove individual parts posed an even greater challenge (forcing him to spend six to eight hours wearing it daily with only tiny slits to breathe through). Woodruff talked to Vanity Fair about this rather isolating experience in 2017, explaining that he had to sit in dark corners on set while others took their break:
"It would be horrible. I would just sit there in the dark and think, Oh, if I could just fall asleep [...] There was no opening that would allow, you know, easy access for a bathroom break. Particularly since my hands were glued on, I wouldn't want anybody else [...] doing it for me."
If this wasn't uncomfortable enough, Woodruff recounted the experience of donning the suit in "Alien 3," where the scene demanded that the xenomorph be covered in insects, forcing Woodruff to remain "completely motionless." The slime on the suit, which was meant to simulate saliva, caused some of the insects to stick to it. The substance used to create this cellulose slime was also a food-thickening agent that sapped body heat, making Woodruff's experience shooting "Alien vs. Predator" during the winter an unforgettable nightmare.
Despite acknowledging the practical hurdles that he had to overcome while being inside the suit, Woodruff emerged optimistic about his experiences as a whole." I will endure almost anything," he stated, proving that it takes remarkable perseverance to be a dedicated creature actor.