New Zealand actress Erana James (second left) stars as Curly, an artificial human in Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth. Photo / FX
In space, no one can hear you scream, but on Earth, it’s a whole different story. Ahead of FX’s new series Alien: Earth airing on Disney + this month, Mitchell Hageman chats to New Zealand actor Erana James, who was at the coalface of this brave new world.
Erana James’ introduction to the world of sci-fi was one for the books, despite its sometimes bloody and gruesome nature.
Chestbursters, Xenomorphs, and Facehuggers rapidly stalked their prey on the set of her latest series, their slimy bodies dripping drool and bodily fluids all over the place.
“It’s a bit gross, and a bit scary sometimes, but nothing you can’t handle,” the Whangārei-born actor laughs.
Her new role as Curly, in Noah Hawley’s reboot of the classic Alien series, sees her step into the shoes of a teen artificial human, a concept she found rather intriguing.
“It was amazing, actually,” she says.
“We got to work with a movement coach who kind of helped us find what that physicality would look like, marrying the synthetic with those human features. We also worked with child psychologists, with military specialists, a bunch of people to kind of build what we all were going to be.”
It’s not the only renegade teen role James, 26, has excelled in as part of her diverse acting resume.
She started her career as a supernatural saviour in the Margaret Mahy adaptation The Changeover and went on to play a stranded teen survivor on hit Netflix show The Wilds.
Last year, she impressed critics and audiences with her performance as an oppressed young girl fighting against a broken system in the film festival favourite We Were Dangerous.
“That was a very different childlike innocence,” she says, reflecting on the two roles.
“[But] Curly has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, so there’s kind of like a little parallel there.”
Alien: Earth is set two years before the disastrous Nostromo incident of the original 1979 Alien movie and features a brand-new set of cast and characters dealing with a new threat to mankind. Hawley, of Fargo and Legion acclaim, pays tribute to the style of the films with a focus on physical effects and tactile visuals.
“The world-building was incredible,” James says of the shooting schedule in Bangkok.
“I’d never been in like a sci-fi universe before, so I think stepping onto set and seeing the world that’s been created in front of us by the production designer, and then also seeing what the plan would look like down the line was amazing.”
A longtime admirer of Hawley, James said the director’s respect for the Alien IP was incredible, and he had done “something very special with the franchise”.
“It’s maybe something a little different to what people might expect. People should go in with an open mind,” she says.
“Hopefully, you’ll have some of those feelings that you might have felt the first time you saw the Alien films, if you were a fan."
Now coming up to 10 years in the acting business, James admits she still feels “very new to the industry”.
She credits acting coach and Kiwi theatre legend Dame Miranda Harcourt and her classes for helping fuel her passion from a young age.
“My mum enrolled me when I was a teenager, and we’d go there every Saturday,” she says.
“I think Mum and Dad probably wanted to get me focused on something rather than just being a teenager.”
Harcourt also helped get her into her breakout role in The Changeover.
“Honestly, it feels like what got me into acting was sort of The Changeover. I kind of didn’t think too deeply about it, and then when it ended up happening, it just felt really cool. I didn’t know if I could keep doing it or if I wanted to keep doing it, but then obviously here we are."
James is based in Melbourne but grew up in a rural area of Whangārei, where her folks still live. Her love for her Northland home remains as strong as ever.
“It’s an amazing place to grow up,” she says. “I’m over in Melbourne now and I love it, but nothing beats the naughty north.”
She’s excited to see the series - and the on-screen sci-fi chaos - when it airs, but if she was living in the Alien universe, how would she like it all to end?
“Personally, I prefer [the act of death by] Xenomorph because of the drama. I think the adrenaline, the spike in all your cortisol, and like all of those reactions, it’s quite iconic,” she says.
“But personal preference in terms of what I would rather experience? Facehugger, because you don’t know what’s going on, and you’re done.”
The first two episodes of Alien: Earth premiere on August 13 on Disney+.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.