Alien icon Sigourney Weaver reflects on the legacy of iconic sci-fi character Ellen Ripley, and admits to being surprised at how influential it has become over the years. First appearing in 1979’s Alien, Ellen Ripley evolved as a fearless hero who could stand against the otherworldly xenomorphs and actually beat them at their own game. It is a characterization that has gone down in history as one of the most beloved in sci-fi and cinema in general.
Weaver hasn’t played Ripley for almost 30 years, but this doesn’t mean it isn’t one of her favorite characters in her decade-long career. The 76-year-old star talked about her during her stay at the Red Sea International Film Festival, where she participated in the event “In Conversation With.” Per The Hollywood Reporter, Weaver looked back on the character she made her breakout with, and revealed that while Ripley became a feminist icon, this wasn’t the original intention of the writers. She also offered her take on why she has become such an important female figure in popular culture:
“We were just trying to make a good small movie. The writers had done this cool thing. It was a script with 10 men, I think, and so they decided to make it a coed group in space, like dirty truckers in space. And they thought that the audience would never suspect that the young woman was going to be the hero, essentially the survivor. So they really did it for story reasons, we weren’t doing it as a big feminist step forward, [although] it did somehow turn out to be that [way].
“I realize now that it was ahead of its time, unfortunately, as all movies were back then. But I did love the character of Ripley. It’s amazing to me how influential the character of Ripley has been. I think it’s because she reminds us all that we can rely on ourselves, and we don’t need a man to fly in and save us or something like that. Because I do feel that women are the glue that holds the world together, and there it is: I’m just telling the truth.”
Ultimately, Ellen Ripley Became One of the Most Memorable Characters in Science Fiction
20th Century Studios
Despite only appearing in four films in the franchise that has spanned several entries, it’s hard to top Ripley as the most iconic character in the series. From her very first appearance in 1979’s seminal film by Ridley Scott, Ripley proved her worth. However, it wasn’t until the sequel’s release in 1986 that the Nostromo officer became a strong inspiration in sci-fi storytelling. Weaver agrees, and she highlighted Cameron’s direction as an essential part of the character’s rise as one of cinema’s greats:
“I was always so lucky to work with Jim Cameron, it was the first time [we worked together] and I’m still working with him. I realized then [that Ripley had become this phenomenon] because he had really built this amazing movie around the character of Ripley and her story, which I feel we can all identify with. She was cast out by society and put in a position she doesn’t want to be in, and having to save the day. It’s a beautifully written script.”