Alien: Harry Dean Stanton's Audition

leading from 




When Harry Dean Stanton was first interviewed he said " I don't like horror films or science fiction films."

Ridley Scott replied "well actually I don't either but I think I can make something of this one"

Ridley showed Harry Dean a big brochure with big coloured layouts.

Harry Dean's response was "Have you got enough money to do this film?"

His thought was that one reason he was hired was because he was worried about the money and Ridley later told him "Bastard, that's one reason I hired you, to show you we had the money"

Source quotes



  1. The Hollywood Interview: Let's talk some more about your films. Alien sticks out as the one blockbuster you've been involved in.
    Harry Dean Stanton: Yeah. And that's a really classic movie now. I never liked science fiction movies or monster movies, but that one was very believable. I told Ridley Scott during my interview with him that I didn't like those sorts of films and he said "Well I don't either, actually, but I think I can make something of this one." And he did. (http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02
    This article originally appeared in the August 1997 issue of Venice Magazine. )
  2. AVClub : Do you find that’s the film that most people come up to you and mention as a favorite?
    Harry Dean Stanton: That’s one of them. That and the first Alien, but there are a lot of them: Missouri Breaks; Paris, Texas; Repo Man… 

    AVClub: Speaking of Alien, are you a science-fiction fan?
    Harry Dean Stanton: No, I’ve never really liked science-fiction films, or horror movies really.
    AVClub: And yet Alien’s both, and it’s one of your most recognized films. 
    Harry Dean Stanton: Yeah, and in my audition, I told Ridley Scott that...
    [Laughs.] I said, “I don’t like sci-fi or horror films.” He said, “I don’t, either, actually, but I think I can make something of this one.”

    AVClub: And did you end up liking the film? Harry Dean Stanton: Oh, yeah. And I like Ridley too. (http://www.avclub.com/)
  3. Harry Dean Stanton: yeah, when they first interviewed, I said "I don't like horror films, or science fiction films". he said, "well actually I don't either but I think I can make something of this one"
    Marc Maron: (chuckle)
    Harry Dean Stanton: and I say... he showed me this big brochure, all these big coloured layouts
    Marc Maron: uhuh
    Harry Dean Stanton: I said, well, I said, have you guys got enough money to do this film?
    Marc Maron: (chuckle)
    Harry Dean Stanton: That's one reason he hired me, because I was worried about the money
    Marc Maron: That guy, he thought, "He's not going to waste any film!" (WTF with Marc Maron January 14th 2014 (http://youtu.be/a-quSl-SlpQ?t=38m33s) (the rest of the Alien segment of this interview can be found transcribed here )
  4. Harry Dean Stanton: I don't like science fiction pictures and I don't like monster pictures, for openers, and I didn't because they're never believable and they're bullshit most of them, and so Ridley said "I don't either actually" he said "I can make something of this one". He pulled out a very state of the art coloured book  of Giger's paintings and all of the different special effects and everything and I said erm, Jesus, I said, "this is a lot of production, you guys have enough money for this", and later he said "Bastard, that's one reason I hired you, to show you we had the money"(Alien Evolution documentary)

No comments:

Post a Comment