Sigourney Weaver she wasn’t initially that interested in reprising her role as Ellen Ripley in James Cameron’s Aliens, which ended up being one of the coolest and baddest sequels ever made. Many fans even think the sequel is better than the first! But it wouldn’t have worked if Weaver hadn’t returned to play Ripley.
It turns out Cameron had to play a little trick to get the actress to sign on. She started telling people that she was going to rewrite the movie script with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead, which she had no intention of doing. The director explained in an interview with GQ:
“I called Lou Pitt, Arnold [Schwarzenegger]’s agent, and I said, ‘Lou, we’ve had enough. So, we’ve decided that we really like the story and all the characters of the Marine Corps and the world that we’ve created and everything. And really, we’ve thought about it, and we really don’t need Sigourney. I’ve created all these characters, and my pride in fatherhood tells me I should go ahead with this, and we’ll cut her out of it, and we’ll cut her character out of her. We will not refund it; I just rewrite it. So, I’m going to start tonight.”
He went on to say that he knew this news would get to Weaver and his agent, that it was the plan all along, and it worked. Not long after Weaver signed on to star in the film:
“Now, did I have any intention of doing that? No, not at all. But I happen to know that Lou works at the same agency as Sigourney’s agent, who was in New York. And I knew the moment she hung up on me, she called him and said, ‘Sign Sigourney now.’ And guess what? The deal was done 12 hours later. So, I never wrote a word of that hypothetical story I said I was going to do, which I had no intention of writing anyway. Anyway, it worked, and Sigourney got her million dollars, and everyone was happy.”
I guess you have to do what you have to do to get the job done! But I wonder what would have happened if it hadn’t worked. Would Cameron have gone ahead with the film? Wanted aliens were they ever made?! I’m just glad that everything turned out well in the end!
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
