Monday 5 September 2016

Bolaji Badejo: 7ft 2in Hollywood ‘Alien’ from Nigeria



By Anna Funke


Bolaji Badejo was born on August 23, 1953 in Lagos, Nigeria. He was an actor, known for Alien (1979).

Bolaji Badejo was a student of graphic arts in London, and has traveled extensively with his parents: to Ethiopia where he studied fine arts; and to the United States, including a three year stay in San Francisco. 


Badejo landed the role of the Alien purely by accident when he bumped into agent Peter Archer while having a drink in a London West End pub. Since the production had apparently put out a casting call for a very tall, very thin actors for the role of the Alien, Archer put Badejo in touch with Ridley Scott. Scott believed that Badejo, at 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) and with a slender frame, could portray the Alien and look as if his arms and legs were too long to be real, creating the illusion that there could not possibly be a human being inside the costume. 

To prepare for the film Bolaji took tai chi classes, spoke with Scott regarding his performance, and vigorously rehearsed the Alien’s gliding movement and mantis-like posture on the Nostromo set. Bolaji worked approximately four months on the film.

Badejo relocated back to Nigeria in 1980 and went to work with his uncle, the well known sculptor, artist, designer and publisher Omotayo Aiyegbusi. Within three years, Bolaji had his own art gallery. He also had two children, Bibi and Yinka, who were born in the 80′s.

As a child, Badejo had been diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia. Several months after his 39th birthday, Bolaji fell ill and was taken to St. Stephen Hospital in Ebute Metta, Lagos, where he died on the December 22, 1992.



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