AvPGalaxy Exclusive: Interview with Ian Whyte

Started by Corporal Hicks, Feb 21, 2016, 08:40:32 AM

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AvPGalaxy Exclusive: Interview with Ian Whyte (Read 12,863 times)

Corporal Hicks

We have just uploaded our new interview with Ian Whyte. Back in 2007 AvPGalaxy had the opportunity to speak to Ian Whyte whilst he was working on Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. I recently had the chance to catch up with the basketball player turned actor that played the Predator in two Alien vs. Predator films and took up the mantle as a member of the enigmatic race that has intrigued fans since Alien's release in 1979 – the Engineers.

“The alien language was developed by a very learned linguist, Dr Anil Biltoo. Who is not only "the linguist" from Prometheus, he is the head of languages at the SOAS language centre at the University of London. It was derived, or inspired by an early root language about 10000 years old, long before Asian and European languages began to develop independently. Initially I spent a good few hours learning the intrinsic intonations and then went away with a few paragraphs that had been translated into "Alien" to learn verbatim as practice before the actual script.

One of the paragraphs was the tears in rain scene from Blade Runner. A film I am very, very familiar with. But the words "Tannhauser" and "Orion" did not translate into the alien language because they are names. As a result they stood out from the text very conspicuously and gave away the entire meaning of the exercise. As soon as I realised what I was reading, my mind automatically translated it back into English, (and into Rutger Hauer's voice as well probably) and tears welled up within me, such is the emotive power of that scene. I went back to the producers and said, "look, I appreciate the need for practice, but you've got to let me see the script. This is Blade Runner and every time I read it I cry! I need to study it and learn it with relevance to my own character."

In our latest interview with Ian Whyte he talks to us about learning to speak Engineer.

In our latest interview with Ian Whyte he talks to us about learning to speak Engineer.

In our interview with Ian Whyte he talks to us about his experience filming both Alien vs. Predator films, how he got involved in Prometheus and learning how to talk Engineer. He also takes about his transition from basketball to acting and just what it’s like to act under all that rubber and make-up!

Make sure you check out the interview in its entirety! You can also read our previous interviews in the Interviews section. I’d like to thank Ian once again for taking the time to answer our questions.

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T Dog

"The sequel to Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, will be shooting in the next few months. Can we expect to see you return as another Engineer in it? Or in another role perhaps?

Ian Whyte – No, you can't! I think it will be highly unlikely. Not least because I became very, very dead at the end of Prometheus."

Here's hoping for a return to proper 1979 Space Jockey design!

426Buddy

God this dude is awesome... Shane Black please cast him as your predator. His wolf and engineer performances were top knotch. You could definitely say I'm a fan, would love to get his autograph and shake his hand some day.

Great interview very interesting.

BonesawT101

Had the honour of meeting him at a convention and had my blu ray copy of Prometheus signed by 'The Last Engineer' himself. Lovely guy and very humble and down to earth. Great interview guys, interesting questions posed as always

PRJ_since1990

Very cool. Would love to meet him at a con some day!

Liberator

He should have had more lines!

Corporal Hicks

Quote from: 420Buddy on Feb 21, 2016, 12:34:17 PM
God this dude is awesome... Shane Black please cast him as your predator. His wolf and engineer performances were top knotch. You could definitely say I'm a fan, would love to get his autograph and shake his hand some day.

I'd definitely love to see him back in The Predator. I always thought he did a great job!

Quote
Great interview very interesting.

Thanks!

Quote from: BonesawT101 on Feb 21, 2016, 06:59:33 PM
Had the honour of meeting him at a convention and had my blu ray copy of Prometheus signed by 'The Last Engineer' himself. Lovely guy and very humble and down to earth.

Whilst I've spoken to him before online, I've never had the chance to meet him in person. I will this weekend though and I have to say I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to add his signature to my AvPGalaxy poster!

QuoteGreat interview guys, interesting questions posed as always

We do try to not be mill-of-the-run with these things. I must say I really liked his answer to the Engineer speech question. I think it's fascinating they did the Blade Runner dialogue. I'd not heard that story before.

draken161

Quote from: 420Buddy on Feb 21, 2016, 12:34:17 PM
God this dude is awesome... Shane Black please cast him as your predator. His wolf and engineer performances were top knotch. You could definitely say I'm a fan, would love to get his autograph and shake his hand some day.

Great interview very interesting.

Great interview indeed. Him playing Wolf is what made AvPR at least fun to watch and definitely made him my favourite casting for a Predator next to Kevin. Definitely want to see more of him.

Predator_Spirit

Do you know if Ian has been contacted by the studios for Predator 3 ?

XENOMORPHOSIS

Though not wanting to jump to conclusion, could we interpret his words of not being in Alien Covenant suggest we won't be seeing any of the Engineers back.

"No, you can't! I think it will be highly unlikely. Not least because I became very, very dead at the end of Prometheus."

Could this imply that we will get NO return of the Engineers and that Alien Covenant is merely a Xenomorph fest that has dropped the Engineers entirely. I certainly hope not.

Corporal Hicks

Corporal Hicks

#10
Quote from: Predator_Spirit on Feb 22, 2016, 11:03:43 PM
Do you know if Ian has been contacted by the studios for Predator 3 ?

I assume you mean Predator 4 -  I don't know, sorry. I'll try to ask him this weekend. He did mention he'd been asked about Predator 3 though.

Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on Feb 23, 2016, 03:27:22 AM
Though not wanting to jump to conclusion, could we interpret his words of not being in Alien Covenant suggest we won't be seeing any of the Engineers back.

I just took it to mean he doubts he'll be back as his character was quite dead.

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯

Quote from: BonesawT101 on Feb 21, 2016, 06:59:33 PM
Had the honour of meeting him at a convention and had my blu ray copy of Prometheus signed by 'The Last Engineer' himself. Lovely guy and very humble and down to earth.

The Bolaji Badejo of our generation?

Quote from: XENOMORPHOSIS on Feb 23, 2016, 03:27:22 AM
Could this imply that we will get NO return of the Engineers? I certainly hope not.

I certainly hope so!

Proper Space Jockeys would be great though.

Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Feb 23, 2016, 08:43:49 AM
I just took it to mean he doubts he'll be back as his character was quite dead.

He was wearing prosthetics so it should be easy enough to give him a new face. And when it comes to Engineers, he can already talk the talk. So to speak.  ;D

Corporal Hicks

Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Feb 23, 2016, 03:09:39 PM
He was wearing prosthetics so it should be easy enough to give him a new face. And when it comes to Engineers, he can already talk the talk. So to speak.  ;D

That's why I asked. I didn't think it was outside the realm of possibility considering.

426Buddy

I just hope he gets to be a pred again and in a movie that doesn't suck.

CthulhuQueen

Interesting interview, thank you!

I do really hope he is in the new pred movie. He was the only watchable thing in AVP R

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