FX’s “Alien: Earth” represents a bold return to the franchise’s sci-fi horror roots, taking viewers back to a nightmarish scenario that’s terrified audiences for decades: How do you survive a species that’s evolved to kill everything in its path? The prequel series specifically explores what happens when deadly alien specimens crash-land on Earth.
Set two years before Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, “Alien: Earth” introduces an entirely new group of characters. Rising stars Sydney Chandler (“Sugar”) and Alex Lawther (“The End of the F***ing World”) lead a sweeping ensemble alongside screen veteran Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”). Noah Hawley, known for the FX series “Fargo” and “Legion,” brings his distinctive vision to the alien-infested landscape as creator and showrunner.
To assemble the cast, Hawley turned to Kate Rhodes James, Scott’s go-to casting director for his recent Oscar-nominated films “Gladiator II,” “Napoleon,” and “House of Gucci.” Here, the seasoned CD discusses working with Hawley and how she found performers who had the qualities needed to survive the “Alien” universe.
What Hawley looks for in actors
“I was very excited to work with Noah,” James says. “I think his work is astonishing. He is an extraordinarily creative person. It’s not just the writing. It’s the whole [package]: the musicality, the vision, the ambition, and being a huge fan of the film.”
When it comes to finding talent, she shares how Hawley “wants to be challenged,” noting that he gravitates toward actors who can bring something unexpected to the role. “Every person in this piece stands out in their own right. There’s no homogenization to any of it, which I love,” she explains.
How the “Alien” legacy influenced the casting process
When casting the series’ protagonist, James says the team wasn’t looking to recreate Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Lt. Ellen Ripley. Chandler’s Wendy, the leader of the Lost Boys—a group of synthetic robots infused with children’s consciousness—needed to be her own character.
But the CD did want the portrayal of Wendy to be a nod to Ripley’s spirit, and Chandler fit that bill. “Sydney is an amazingly committed, hardworking, charming individual, and was up and running for this audition faster than anyone I’ve ever known,” she says. “She really wanted it, and she knew what to do with it.”
James first met Chandler during a general meeting in 2022; at the time, the actor was portraying musician Chrissie Hynde on the FX miniseries “Pistol,” which follows the rise of legendary punk rock band the Sex Pistols. “She really stood out. And then the glory of that is, 18 months later, I get the script [for ‘Alien: Earth’]—and it all came together rather beautifully.”
James took cues from the franchise’s first chapter for other characters as well—particularly when casting Lily Newmark, who plays Nibs, the youngest member of the Lost Boys.
Having worked with Newmark on Netflix’s fantasy drama “Cursed,” James recognized something familiar in her demeanor that echoed Veronica Cartwright’s memorably vulnerable performance as navigator Joan Lambert. “I didn’t go out to find Veronica. I think [the influence of the original film] was subliminally leading the charge with my choices to present to Noah,” she says—like “the conversation about giving [Newmark] sort of the same haircut that Veronica had, which was a slightly chaotic, punky [cut].... We weren’t looking for look-alikes, but we were certainly being inspired by [‘Alien’].”
James’ golden rule for actors who are auditioning for a major franchise
James understands that auditioning for a project that brings with it a devoted fanbase can be intimidating. Her advice to performers is surprisingly simple: “Just forget” anything related to the franchise.
This strips away the pressure of living up to established expectations and allows performers to focus on what matters most. She recalls, “When we were auditioning the actors who are playing the Lost Boys, I just said, ‘Forget you’re a child…. Forget anything to do with ‘Alien.’
“Remember that Noah’s done all the work. It’s all in the dialogue. You don’t need to embellish it,” she says. “It’s harder when the scripts aren’t as good, and then you have to dip into your arsenal of tricks to try and pull it off; but when [a project has] been plotted so beautifully, and [represents] the characters so beautifully, sometimes the best thing to say to an actor is, ‘Stop acting. Trust that we know why we’ve brought you into the room and trust the dialogue.’ ”
Where the CD finds talent
Scouting actors is a full-time pursuit that goes beyond the audition room. As a casting director, James is “on call all the time,” she says, always looking for new faces and fresh performances.
“I’m at the theater two nights a week,” she explains. “I’m watching as much as I can get my hands on, and there’s nothing more exciting than discovering a new act.”
The commitment pays off in unexpected ways: When casting “Alien: Earth,” she was thrilled to bring in Indian actor Adarsh Gourav for the role of Slightly, another member of the Lost Boys. “[He was in] ‘The White Tiger,’ this extraordinary film set in Mumbai, which was about six or seven years ago.” James says she “was smitten by him as an actor” and “couldn’t wait” to bring him up to Hawley.
“We’re warriors on behalf of actors,” she adds. “You support them. You find their agent; you reach out to them, just to say, ‘I think they’re phenomenal.’ And then you keep in touch with them until something arises.”
Her best overall audition advice
The CD wants actors to know that if they’re in the audition room, they’re there for a reason. “If I’m bringing you in, I’ve already talked about you,” James says. “I’ve already said to [the director], ‘I think you’re going to love this actor, because I saw them in this.’ I give [them] lots of knowledge [about you], so that when you, as an actor, walk into the room, you’re halfway there.”
This preparation is part of Jame’s broader philosophy about creating the right conditions for a great performance. “Actors can only do what they [do best] if they’re in a safe environment and if they feel secure,” she says. “Because to be any good, they have to be vulnerable. And who wants to be vulnerable when you’re in a room of animosity? You’ll never get the best out of anybody in that environment.”
James tries to ensure her audition room is “equipped” to create a safe space for an actor. “I hate it whenever you walk into a room and there’s a table with chairs behind it [and] the camera in front,” she explains. “I push everything to the side, and I’m like, ‘We’re here to work together. We’re no more important than you. We need you as much as you need us.’ ”
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This story originally appeared in the August 18 issue of Backstage Magazine.
Kate Rhodes James photo credit: Jason Frank Rothenberg