Alien: Hearing about Sigourney



photo of Mary Goldberg who was the casting girl during Alien


It seemed that word about Sigourney came the long way around where somebody had said to somebody who was perhaps Mary Goldberg the casting girl had told them "There’s this girl who’s doing theatre on Broadway who’s very interesting, is a giant, she’s 6 feet, I think she’s 6.1, in her stocking feet, is very interesting. Smart performer, very physical. Hasn’t done a movie."

In those days Sigourney wasn't completely unknown, being regarded as an up and coming actress on the stage. 

So far she had a brief walk on part in "Annie Hall", had a role in a movie "Madman" (also known as "Camp 708") released that year,  also she had a role in an eight part television series about aristocratic women called The Best of Families and she had just opened in a play called "The Conquering Place" on Broadway.

Ridley didn't get a chance to see the play but he would meet Sigourney.

Leading to


Sigourney Weaver making a six second walk-on appearance
in Woody Allen's movie Annie Hall

Quote sources
  1. David Giler: We had a casting girl working for us named Mary Goldberg - she told us that there were two women we should see in New York that she thought would be perfect . One who had done some films, but had not broken through as yet, and the other was a young girl who had not made a movie as yet. The first woman was Meryl Streep. Meryl's long-time companion had just died, and I did not feel that she should be asked to come in from the country. It had just happened the day before...we could see her another time. The other woman was, of course, Sigourney Weaver. (Photoplay, December 1979, p42) (Alien Blu-ray)
  2. Sigourney Weaver: I didn't really know what was expected of me as I'd only made one film, and eight-parter television series about aristocratic women called The Best of Families, but the Alien script I found most arresting and I liked the idea they had broken the rule and written two of the parts, originally designed for men, for women to play.
  3. Ridley Scott: l'd met Sigourney on the last go in New York. Er, She'd come recommended because of a play that she'd been doing on Broadway. She was known as a real comer on Broadway. Right. l didn't see the play, l just met her. (Alien Quadrilogy Documentary) 
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