'Alien: Earth' on FX: Meet the Cast
In space, no one can hear you scream. At home on your couch watching Alien: Earth? Your family or roommates will definitely hear you screaming.
The new FX series Alien: Earth premieres on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 8pm ET with back-to-back episodes. Created by Noah Hawley – the mastermind behind FX’s other film-to-series adaptation, Fargo – Alien: Earth is a fascinating and provocative new entry in one of the most enduring sci-fi/ horror franchises of the last 50 years. Here’s a first look at the new series and its cast. To watch Alien: Earth on FX with DISH, subscribe to America’s Top 120 and up. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best offer and subscribe to DISH today!
What is ‘Alien: Earth’ About and What is its Timeline Compared to the Films?
The general premise of Alien: Earth is as straightforward as the show’s title: What if the terrifying Xenomorphs from the classic films were set loose on our planet? But as you might expect from the man who was able to extract the themes of Fargo and place them into fascinating new storylines, Alien: Earth takes niche nuggets of Alien lore and explores them in rich detail. Specifically, the series investigates transhumanism as a means for immortality, and the intersection of technological and biological advancements in the form of Cyborgs, Synthetics, and Hybrids. It also takes a closer look at the social and political structure of Earth in the year 2120, where five corporations run the planet as geopolitical states.
If all of this sounds high-minded, it certainly is, but it’s also not out of place in a franchise that eventually explored the genesis of life itself. Nevertheless, we may have buried the lead: Most people come to Alien in search of stomach-turning monstrosities executing gnarly kills, and Alien: Earth delivers on this count as well. In fact, some of the most horrifying moments of the series aren’t centered on the Xenomorph (which is portrayed as an unrelenting and efficient vehicle for gruesome death, as it should be) but the other batch of aliens that are aboard the Weyland-Yutani spaceship that crashes to Earth in the premiere. Explaining more about these creatures would ruin some of the disgusting fun the show has its eye on, but suffice it to say, the phantasmagoric, nightmarish quality of the first two Alien films is very much alive in these new species.
As for the timeline of the new series and where it fits into the events of the films, it takes place 27 years after Prometheus, 16 years after Alien: Covenant and two years before the original Alien. That's somewhat surprising, as one might assume the series takes place sometime after the titular alien has wreaked havoc on interstellar transport vehicles and is looking to finally settle down in its forever home. But without getting specific, Alien: Earth posits that the Weyland-Yutani corporation has fixated on this particular species for a long while and is expecting a return on the considerable investment it has made in capturing it.
Now let's meet the cast of Alien: Earth on FX.
Sydney Chandler as Wendy
Official Description: The first synthetic to be infused with human consciousness by the Prodigy Corporation. As she grows to understand her strengths, Wendy finds herself torn between the family she once knew and her duty to her new friends and teammates.
What Else To Know: Stepping into the shoes of past Alien heroines like Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, Wendy is the leader of “The Lost Boys,” a group of “Hybrids” whose consciousness was transferred into synthetic bodies from terminally ill children. As the first of the Hybrids, Wendy has a unique status and importance to the Prodigy corporation, but she also struggles to reconcile her human past with her new synthetic body.
Fun Fact: Sydney Chandler is the daughter of veteran actor Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, The Wolf of Wall Street).
Alex Lawther as Hermit
Official Description: Once separated from his family, Wendy’s brother Hermit is a tactical officer and medic who will risk everything to protect his sister after an unexpected event reunites them.
What Else To Know: Hermit is a brave and empathetic character, risking his life to find survivors after the spaceship Maginot crashes into the heart of a city. But in a cold and deadly world, his courage and good-heartedness might be more of a liability than an asset.
Fun Fact: If you can’t quite remember where you’ve seen him, there’s a good chance you saw Lather in the Netflix series The End of the F*cking World and Andor on Disney+.
Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh
Official Description: Fastidious and exacting, Kirsh is a Prodigy Corporation Synthetic and one of the scientists responsible for training the first hybrids.
What Else To Know: Although he’s something of a paternal figure to “The Lost Boys,” Kirsh’s detached, analytical robot consciousness keeps the hybrids and humans at arm’s length, although it does come in handy when analyzing the newly discovered alien species.
Fun Fact: Olyphant bleached not only his hair but his eyebrows for this role.
Essie Davis as Dame Sylvia
Official Description: A force of warmth in the Prodigy Corporation, Dame Sylvia looks after the emotional wellbeing of “The Lost Boys.”
What Else To Know: The wife of Arthur Sylvia, Dame is one part scientist, two parts therapist. Before it's all said and done, Sylvia herself may need to see a counselor.
David Rysdahl as Arthur Sylvia
Official Description: One of Prodigy’s lead technicians, Arthur is the moral compass within the company. Arthur is a true believer in the stated mission of the program but soon finds himself at odds with the reality of his situation.
What Else To Know: As we mentioned above in regards to Hermit, in this world, being an earnest “true believer” with a “moral compass” might not be as useful as, say, someone who knows how to operate sophisticated weaponry.
Fun Fact: Rysdahl is married to the actress and fellow FX alum, Zazie Beetz aka Van from Atlanta.
Babou Ceesay as Morrow
Official Description: An employee of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the Maginot’s Chief Security Officer. He is a stone-cold, tough bastard. After losing his daughter, working for the company is his life’s mission. He is the sole survivor of the ship’s crash and tasked with retrieving the ship’s cargo on earth, by any means necessary.
What Else To Know: The backstory of certain characters are best explored in the context of the show…and this is that certain character.
Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier
Official Description: The prodigy and “Boy Genius” behind the Prodigy Corporation. Boy Kavalier built the company as a child. He runs both the company and his life with the brashness of someone who has never known consequences. Not because reactions don’t exist in his world, but because he’s always twenty steps ahead of everyone else, rendering reaction and consequence moot by the time they arrive.
What Else To Know: As a former child prodigy, Kavalier has an easy rapport with “The Lost Boys.” But as someone who is always "twenty steps ahead," what risks is Kavalier willing to take when dealing with the unexpected arrival of dangerous new life forms?
Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
Official Description: A member of “The Lost Boys.” From a loving family, Slightly always tries to behave righteously when faced with moral dilemmas.
What Else To Know: The “Lost Boys” actors all are portraying children whose minds have been transferred into the powerful bodies of young adults. It’s a tricky role, and all of the actors are up to the task, but Gourav is a standout, imbuing Slightly with a mix of playfulness and vulnerability that feels fully believable.
Jonathan Ajayi as Smee
Official Description: A member of “The Lost Boys.” Enthusiastic and happy to be a part of the group, Smee always carries a childlike eagerness with his newfound friends and teammates.
What Else To Know: Ever noticed how some kids are more curious than fearful when facing animals adults are threatened by? That’s Smee.
Erana James as Curly
Official Description: A member of “The Lost Boys.” Curly is particularly grateful for the abilities and second chance at life given to her by Prodigy Corporation. As such, she has a chip on her shoulder and an eager hunger to prove her capabilities to the world.
What Else To Know: The teacher’s pet of the bunch.
Lily Newmark as Nibs
Official Description: A member of “The Lost Boys.” Nibs was particularly sick as a human. Thus, she has a progressively difficult time adjusting to her new abilities and life.
What Else To Know: Remember what we said above about “certain characters”? All we’ll add is that Newmark is phenomenal in this role.
Kit Young as Tootles
Official Description: The oldest member of “The Lost Boys” in human age. Tootles’ scientific curiosity keeps him aloof and separate from the rest of the group, though he’s a de facto big brother to the others.
What Else To Know: In school and at home in large families, kids are always jockeying for position and status from adults, and Alien: Earth astutely incorporates this into the “Lost Boys” dynamics.
Adrian Edmondson as Atom Enis
Official Description: Boy Kavalier’s right hand man and trusted council. An older man, always dressed in a suit who radiates intimidation and authority.
What Else To Know: If you’re in charge of a corporation that runs two and a half continents, you need a guy like Atom at your side.
Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Yutani
Official Description: The head of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. She has the surety and poise of a woman who owns one fifth of the entire planet, and much more in space. Her grandmother sent the USCSS Maginot on its mission. Therefore, Yutani considers what’s on the ship not just her property, but her birthright.
