It never occurred to me to browse through the credits of Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, to find out who was underneath the monstrous black mask.
The man was Bolanji Badejo, a 7ft tall Nigerian design student picked up from a bar in West London to fill the title role. He worked on the film for 4 months. Spending every day wrapped in a suffocating custom fitted rubber suit, working to exude a presence of pure evil.
Despite his incredible contribution to the film’s success Badejo never received any publicity for his involvement. Ultimately, it would be his only film role.
I looked Badejo up because of this post and although he passed young at 39 (sickle cell anemia) it seems he went on to have a fulfilling life after his role. He returned to Nigeria and opened an art gallery because his interest was in graphic arts design, and he left behind two children.
Of the experience of being in the alien costume, Badejo recalled in an interview in 1979, “I could barely see what was going on around me, except when I was in a stationary position, while they were filming. Then there were a few holes I could look through… It was terribly hot… I could only have it on for about 15 or 20 minutes at a time. When I took it off, my head would be soaked.”
It also seems it was partially his choice not to return for the sequels despite having the legal opportunity to do so. He said, “The fact that I played the part of Alien, for me, that’s good enough.”
Not one for the limelight, he was according to special effects supervisor Nick Allder “lovely, gentle and quiet,” and yet, says associate producer Ivor Powell, “part of cinematic history.”
Hey folks. I wrote the above tweet over on the other blue hellsite. I’m an Irish queer neurodivergent comedian and I’ll shortly be making my UK debut with the Vaults Festival in London over March. Check out the details here!
The Russian Santa Claus in Siberia (The eastern part of Russia situated in Asia). He’s known as Ded Moroz. -Merry Xmas from Universal Beauty
Winner of the Best-Dressed Santa Award, hands down!
meanwhile this level 100 wizard
Not quite. This is Yakutian Chys Khan, Ded Moroz’s northern “brother”. Russian Federation is a melting pot of different cultures, it’s not just slavs, don’t forget that.
This is Ded Moroz (a.k.a. Father Frost)
And here they are together
wow, don’t forget Snegurochka, his daughter, the snow maiden, who always accompanies him. She has a beautifuk kokoshnik crown that is essentially a big snowflake
or, more contemporarily, a cute toque
don’t leave her out :(
Ooh
Since this is back to my dash, I’ll add some more mebers to the Snow Wizard family!
Buryatian Sagan Ubugun
Samoyedan Yamal-iri
Evenkia has a female one, Tugeni Enekehn, Mother Winter
Udurmutian Tol Babai
Karelian Pakkaine, the youngest one, he doesn’t even have a beard.
There are more. They annualy host “summits” and visit each-other across Russia.
Merry Christmas!
j
Correction: Снегурочка, The Snow maiden is a granddaughter of Дед Мороз.
Reblogging for it illustrates how diverse Russia actually is.
