Here’s What Some Entertainment Creatures Look Like Without Their Costumes

To make sure the aliens we see in TV shows and movies are genuinely terrifying, a lot of work has to be done behind the scenes. These seemingly terrifying creatures are often played by real-life artists who have mastered the art of melting into any character they are presented with. For instance, think of The Predator or Wookie. In a minute, we will take a visual tour of what the actors look like behind all that make-up, CGI, and prosthetics. We tip our hats to the adroit make-up artists and special-effects creators of Hollywood who spend days, often months coming up with the perfect ensemble for these creatures. You’ll soon see how they really are in real life. Hollywood producers have a special talent for transforming normal actors into terrifying, life-like aliens. Seriously, it’s difficult to recognize them!

This article was originally published on worldtravelling.com and has been republished here with permission.

Bolaji Badejo in Alien

In 1979, Bolaji Badejo landed his first and sole movie role. In fact, the Nigerian actor was scouted. Rumors say that he was found by the film’s producers one night in a London pub. With his towering 6’10” body that the producers described as “insect-like, thin,” he was perfect for the part of the alien.

Given how bulky the suit was, we are not surprised that Badejo was not overjoyed to wear this for prolonged periods. He especially disliked the giant headpiece. Badejo wore the cellulose slime-lathered monster suit in 15-minute intervals to not overheat his body. He was approached for the role when more installments were planned for the movie franchise. But he turned it down and moved back to Lagos, Nigeria.

Mantis

Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff, was an insect-humanoid alien in the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. Metro magazine shared that Klementieff had to don prosthetics at the tip of her forehead. However, the rest of her character was CGI. Compared to most protagonists and antagonists of sci-fi movies, the actress did not have to spend as much time getting her make-up done for the job.

The make-up artists experimented with various looks to create the perfect design for Mantis. According to Klementieff, they tried multiple wigs, and at one point, they drew veins on her face. After that, they deviated toward a more human design.

Thanos’ CGI

When he was approached for the role of the infamous villain Thanos, John Brolin was hesitant. He would become a part of the popular Avenger series. Still, he was reluctant for one big reason: he did not want to stand in front of a huge green screen and do “practically nothing.” However, Brolin was convinced after watching “The Hobbit,” a CGI-filled movie. After all, Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance was nothing short of stunning.

Brolin’s Thanos was entirely CGI, so he only had to endure an overwhelming amount of iridescent paint over his body and face. Brolin terms it as “different but fun.”

The Real-Life Predator

Jean-Claude Van Damme was the original choice for the protagonist in the 1987 action and sci-fi film, Predator. After he tapped out, the officials hired Kevin Peter Ball, a musical actor standing at an impressive 7’4″ height. Suffice to say, he was perfect for the role of the aggressive alien that terrorizes people.

Hall only used his voice to yell or growl, so he refers to this part as a “grunt role.” Despite the difficulty of wearing the gigantic suit, Hall thoroughly enjoyed playing the extraterrestrial warrior. He said his role was bigger than life, technically making him a part of the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre.