Bolaji Badejo


Bolaji Badejo was a Nigerian visual artist and actor who became known as one of Hollywood's most unlikely on-screen performers in the role of the Alien in Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, his only film role. He died from sickle cell anaemia at the age of 39.
Badejo was of Yoruba descent and was the son of the director general of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He first studied in Nigeria, then in the United States before finally moving to London to specialize in graphic design. He was eventually discovered in a Soho pub by a member of Scott's casting team. He was chosen to play the part of the Alien due to his "incredibly tall" height and "very long legs". He was 6 ft 10 in tall.
Badejo never returned for the Alien sequels, which used puppetry and later animation instead of suit performers; the original was his only film credit. His family revealed that he returned to Nigeria in 1980 and began running his own art gallery in 1983.

Filmography