EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Ahead of their appearance at the El Paso Comic Con, KFOX14/CBS4 sat down with cast members from the film Aliens to talk about what fans can expect and the lasting impact of the movie as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Ricco Ross, who played Private Frost and Carl Toop, who suited up as the Xenomorph, are just two of the actors part of the Aliens 40th anniversary cast reunion that came to the El Paso Comic Con on Friday.
Starting at noon, the two will join fellow cast members, Michael Biehn, Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston, William Hope, Cynthia Scott and Daniel Kash– who all appeared together as space marines in the popular sequel– who will be signing autographs and taking selfies with fans at their booths.
Cast of Aliens (1986) reunites at El Paso Comic Con for 40th anniversary graphic. Credit: El Paso Comic Con via Facebook
RELATED: Space marines from ‘Aliens’ join El Paso Comic Con alongside wrestling & comic book stars
“It’s amazing that 40 years after a movie is made, people are still interested in the movie, [that] is still relevant,” Ross said before reflecting on the lasting qualities of the film.
“I think it’s because James Cameron [the director] was and is very ahead of his time… I think the concept that corporations will take over was ahead of its time, the concept that women can be bad a**es, that was really ahead of its time,” Ross said, adding that the fact that the movie uses practical effects instead of digital effects gives it a timeless quality. “It doesn’t age itself,” Ross said.
Still from Aliens (1986). Credit: Alien Anthology via YouTube
Of course, one of those practical magical elements is the Xenomorph.
Toop, who played the creature, was picked after the film production auditioned over 100 dancers as they were looking for agile people with slim physiques who could move in the costumes.
“There must have been about 150 people who just crammed into the studio. It came down to one person. I still find it incredible how I managed to do it, Toop said.
When asked how he was able to disappear inside that getup (this humble interviewer noting that it’s not easy to tell there’s a person underneath the costume), Toop credited the costume, “It was an amazing costume.”
“We worked and tried to get rid of that human element in the monster,” Toop said.
Still from Aliens (1986). Credit: Alien Anthology via YouTube
When asked how he tapped into the physicality of an other worldly creature, Toop again credited the costume for how he moved.
“You’ve got long hands, big feet and big heads– that helps with your movement,” Toop said, adding that he also incorporated reptile-like movements.
When asked if it was difficult to get in and out of the costume to go to the restroom during shooting, Toop explained how the costume was taped in and put together with makeup.
“The only thing they used to take off was my head sometimes to just let me eat or drink something, which I tried not to,” Toop said.
Still from Aliens (1986). Credit: Alien Anthology via YouTube
One of the film’s most iconic moments is when Newt, a 9-year-old girl rescued by the Marines after the xenomorphs ravaged a human colony, is half-submerged in water and trapped under a walkway when one of the killer creatures slowly rises behind her.
Toop explained how the tricky shot was pulled off, saying that because they hadn’t rehearsed it, he at first became trapped underwater.
Toop said that he had to submerge himself entirely in water and wait for Cameron’s signal; however, since they hadn’t tested how the suit would handle underwater, the xenomorph’s head filled up with water, leaving Toop at the bottom of the pool.
“[Cameron] tapped on the side of the pool and I couldn’t get my head up. I was just stuck…,” Toop said. “And I must have been over a minute under the water [until] someone actually decided to think,’ Oh, something that’s not quite right here.’”
When asked if they knew when making the film that it was going to trump the original, Ross said he knew it was special because of the script, but said that it wasn’t until he saw the movie with an audience that he saw the “magical moments.”
RECOMMENDED: Action film being shot in Las Cruces with two MCU stars
As productions continue to be filmed in the Borderland, in El Paso, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque, giving our community opportunities to work in these projects, I asked Ross and Toop if they had any advice for people looking to work on sets and get their foot in the door.
“Take the opportunities,” Toop said. “I did the Alien[s] film because I had rent to pay… that was part of my drive.”
“If you wanna do it, be proactive,” Ross said. “Even if you have to come on as somebody who’s just carrying the tea, it’s a good place to start. You get to know people, they get to know you, and you move up from there. James Cameron, the director, he did not start off as a director.”
Still from Aliens (1986). Credit: Alien Anthology via YouTube
Catch both at the El Paso Comic Con, from Noon to 6 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Aliens is Toop’s only acting credit and he has since become a chef and dedicated his time to meeting fans at podcasts and other events.
Ross, you can catch in the Tyler Perry Netflix series “Beauty in Black,” which he thanked fans for making it the platform’s number one series with an all-black cast.
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.