Inhabiting the Alien, ADI's Tom Woodruff Jr. Talks Performing Inside the Alien Suit – AvP Galaxy Podcast #136

Started by Corporal Hicks, Nov 12, 2021, 04:02:01 PM

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Inhabiting the Alien, ADI's Tom Woodruff Jr. Talks Performing Inside the Alien Suit – AvP Galaxy Podcast #136 (Read 5,167 times)

Corporal Hicks

We have just uploaded the 136th episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download)! While we’ve had the pleasure of talking to many Predator actors, we’ve never spoken to an Alien actor in the past. In this episode Corporal Hicks and RidgeTop are joined once again by Amalgamated Dynamics Inc.’s Tom Woodruff Jr.  to talk about performing inside the Alien suit!

Tom Woodruff suited up on the set of Alien 3!

We talk the duality of designer and performer, the appropriateness of utilizing dancers or mimes as suit performers, Alien 3’s Pepsi advert, and plenty more!

What did you think of our latest episode? Be sure to let us know down below! You can also listen to any of our previous episodes in the Podcast section under the News tab on the main menu. The Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast is also available via iTunes, PodBean, GooglePlay Stitcher, and Spotify! Please be sure to leave a rating and review on whichever platform you're using!

And if you'd rather see our beautiful faces, as always the video version of the podcast is also available on the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy YouTube channel!

Make sure your browsers are locked into Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest Alien and Predator news! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to get the latest on your social media walls. Be sure to join in with fellow Alien and Predator fans on our forums as well!

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Kradan

Kradan

#1
Yummy


Seems like you linked wrong video, Corporal

Darkness

Corrected it. I'll try and get this one transcribed.

Kradan

Halfway through the podcast

No worries about delay, Corporal, It's actually quite nice to get another piece of Halloweeny contnet in the middle of November.

Some great BTS stories from Tom ! Also, what is that pic with him holding Alien head and looking all miserable you guys talking about ? I can kinda see it in my head but can't find it

RidgeTop

Quote from: Kradan on Nov 13, 2021, 06:20:56 AM
Also, what is that pic with him holding Alien head and looking all miserable you guys talking about ? I can kinda see it in my head but can't find it


Kradan


Kailem

Giving this a listen now, I've very much been looking forward to it! Hearing from Tom and Alec in any form is always a treat.

I'm just at the part now where you've asked him about the continuation of the "confrontation" scene in Alien 3, and though it might not have been from that particular scene I do remember a shot from the making of documentary on the Blu-ray that shows him rearing up with his arm held back like he's about to strike, but then stopping, which I always thought was taken from that particular scene.

It's been a while since I saw it last though so maybe someone with a better memory can say whether it was actually Sigourney in the shot I'm thinking of or someone else that would indicate it was actually from a different scene, but either way it's possible that might be a snippet of that "lost" footage there.

RidgeTop

Quote from: Kailem on Nov 13, 2021, 12:25:00 PM
Giving this a listen now, I've very much been looking forward to it! Hearing from Tom and Alec in any form is always a treat.

I'm just at the part now where you've asked him about the continuation of the "confrontation" scene in Alien 3, and though it might not have been from that particular scene I do remember a shot from the making of documentary on the Blu-ray that shows him rearing up with his arm held back like he's about to strike, but then stopping, which I always thought was taken from that particular scene.

It's been a while since I saw it last though so maybe someone with a better memory can say whether it was actually Sigourney in the shot I'm thinking of or someone else that would indicate it was actually from a different scene, but either way it's possible that might be a snippet of that "lost" footage there.

Thanks for listening! Yeah that brief shot from the extended sequence is in the special features, of the Alien looming over. It's one of the things that prompted me to ask. Sigourney is side of frame.



There's also another image of this scene in our deleted scenes section:


Kailem

Yeah that's the one. Chances are he just couldn't remember then, since it looks like that's definitely from the scene in question. And thanks for asking my question too (and not just "PUMPKINHEEEEAD")!

That was a really cool listen. I always knew that suit work was gruelling, but damn! Tom must really love it to put up with all those horrendous incidents. Talk about suffering for your art. At a certain point I'm surprised he didn't just say "you know what, I don't care if five people notice it, next time we're putting some lining in these suits to keep me warm!" :laugh:

And I guess a gorilla suit would be easier to hide his actual human physique than an Alien outfit these days, but either way it'd be cool to see him back at it again, be it in the new show or somewhere else; especially if it was as a Gorilla Alien! He's right after all, one way or another that needs to be in a movie already. :D

Also gonna assume that development on Alien: Salvation is continuing to go well and that Tom will announce a release date in due time. ;)

Leto2

sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere already, but did u guys ever bring up the mandibles with the adi guys? hope they get them right this time, maybe fourth time is the charm??

RidgeTop

RidgeTop

#10
Quote from: Leto2 on Nov 14, 2021, 04:07:55 PM
sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere already, but did u guys ever bring up the mandibles with the adi guys? hope they get them right this time, maybe fourth time is the charm??

It certainly has been discussed elsewhere already... but no worries.

I believe we asked Alec about this the first time we had him on the podcast in 2018. Episode 77 right around the 50 minute mark I think:

https://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/podcasts/

Darkness

You know when he talks about the underwater scene in Resurrection. Is the only scene when he appears in costume is the part where he grabs Hillard? Just watched it back as I wanted a screencap but I'm sure everything else is CGI.

RidgeTop

RidgeTop

#12
Quote from: Darkness on Nov 26, 2021, 04:38:25 PM
You know when he talks about the underwater scene in Resurrection. Is the only scene when he appears in costume is the part where he grabs Hillard? Just watched it back as I wanted a screencap but I'm sure everything else is CGI.

Yeah pretty sure it's just that bit. A close up of the face, the hand grabbing her, and then an out of focus shot of the Alien swimming away with her. When the Alien eventually surfaces pursuing the group out of the water, there's also a practical shot there.

Darkness

Okay, the transcript is done: https://www.avpgalaxy.net/website/interviews/tom-woodruff/

Some interesting nuggets in there. I don't think I knew he didn't like doing AvP Requiem. And the bit about Brian Prince not being right for the part.

Kradan

Kradan

#14
Quote from: Darkness on Nov 27, 2021, 10:13:11 AM
Some interesting nuggets in there. I don't think I knew he didn't like doing AvP Requiem. And the bit about Brian Prince not being right for the part.
Me neither. I haven't really thought about how whole "parkour" thimg might not be the best idea when you're wearing pretty heavy creature costume. I remember on one of the podcasts  Xenomorphine making a point that despite all the pre-release talk we didn't really got to see Fugitive doing much "parkour" moves in the final movie

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