What Alien: Romulus' Xenoman Looks Like In Real-Life
Contains spoilers for "Alien: Romulus"
There are plenty of familiar creaks in director Fede Álvarez's haunted house in space, but one new scare in his vicious new take of extra-terrestrial life in "Alien: Romulus" is the Offspring. Much like Ridley's Scott's original masterpiece gave the audience one last scare, Rain (Cailee Spaeny) faces a final nightmare — one that's born of Alien and human DNA. Credited only as the Offspring in the film's credits, this 7-foot terror, like so much of "Alien: Romulus," isn't a CGI creation, but one made out of good old fashioned makeup, special effects, and an actual actor by the name of Robert Bobroczkyi.
Standing at 7 feet, 7 inches, Bobroczkyi was born in Arad, Romania and reached literally incredible heights even at young age, standing at 6 feet, 2 inches when he was only 8 years old, and then gaining another foot at the age of 12. Bobroczkyi is a former Romanian basketball player who moved from Arad to Geneva, Ohio in 2016. He attended Rochester Christian University in 2020, before returning home to attend college in Romania. His physical features made him an ideal fit for the film's big bad in the final act.
Bobroczkyi had it in his genes to be a big presence
While Robert Bobroczkyi may have had health assessments for most of his life, it turns out that the former basketball star's height is something that runs in the family. Robert's father, former ball player Zsigmond Bobróczky is 7 feet, 2 inches, and his mother Brunhilde, who played volleyball and handball, stands at 6 feet, 2 inches. While he was confirmed to not have any hormonal or growth issues, the young Romanian was limited when it came to playing on the court, suffering from issues with his movement and stamina. He also dealt with scoliosis and lower back issues, which made him unsuitable to play basketball professionally.
Perhaps after taking on the part of the Offspring and bringing scares to space, Bobroczkyi may have found a career on-screen. A skim over his IMDb page shows "Alien: Romulus" is his only acting role so far, but now Bobroczkyi joins a legacy of talent that brought terror into theaters for decades. The first to strike from the shadows was when the xenomorph hitched a ride on the Nostromo's pivotal pit stop in 1979 and the world learned that in space, no one can hear you scream.
The original Alien was a tall one-time star
Just like Fede Álvarez employed the assistance of Robert Bobroczkyi to bring the fear for his chapter in the Alien anthology, Ridley Scott hired a talent with a huge screen presence. The first person to bring the Xenomorph to life was Bolaji Badejo, a 6-foot-10-inch graphic designer who was discovered in a London pub in Soho by a casting director enamored by Badejo's long legs. Like Bobroczkyi, he took on the role with no previous acting experience. Whatever he provided was enough though, as Badejo was instrumental in bringing one of movie's most terrifying characters to life — which the other cast members were both aware and respectful of.
While Bobroczkyi's face was covered in makeup and prosthetics to bring his character to life, Badejo donned the Alien's trademark long, tubular head, as well as an entire body suit of tubes and biomechanical piping. During filming, Tom Skerritt realized that his hidden co-star was unable to sit down in the suit, leading the crew to build a swing for Badejo to park himself between takes. Following the film's success, Badejo was asked to return for a sequel, but he went back home to Nigeria, where he later opened an art gallery. Sadly, Badejo is one of the actors from the Alien universe who have passed away, dying in 1992 due to complications from sickle cell anemia. He was just 39 years old. Though "Alien" is his only acting credit, he leaves behind some legendary and large footsteps for Bobroczkyi to follow.
Check out the entire Alien story finally explained to read more about the classic sci-fi franchise.