Sigourney Weaver Reflects On An Enduring Career

Amidst a whirlwind global promotional tour for her highly anticipated film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, acclaimed actress Sigourney Weaver took a moment to visit the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of her visit was twofold: to accept the prestigious Red Sea Honoree Award recognizing her enduring contributions to cinema, and to participate in the festival's "In Conversation With" series, joining a distinguished list of participants that included Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, and Kirsten Dunst.

The Oscar-nominated star spoke candidly about the early influences that steered her toward entertainment. She credited her father, the visionary television executive Pat Weaver, who served as president of NBC and created The Today Show, with inspiring her career path. She recalled her father consistently returning home smiling, noting that although she was too young to understand the specifics of his happiness, she was influenced by the fact that "whatever he’s doing looks like it’s fun."

From Hedgehog-Bearing Daughters to Alien Survivors Weaver detailed her deep affection for theater and comedy, reflecting on her early days working Off-Broadway alongside her late friend, the absurdist comedy playwright Christopher Durang. She spoke with particular fondness and humor about one of her favorite roles in Durang’s play, Titanic:

"In a play called Titanic, in which [she] played three roles. [She] played Lydia, the captain’s daughter, who kept a hedgehog in her vagina and used to feed it at the table. And [she] did it very blithely (laughs), like it was nothing, and then, eventually, [she] morph[ed] into the sister Helena. [Helena] has now changed into a seagull that malts. You just see the little feathers or whatever… And then [she] change[d] again into a sort of murderess named Annabella … One of the best parts [she]’s ever had (laughs).”

She expressed great admiration for Durang's writing, adding, “I always loved comedy. I was very surprised to get Alien," as the character of Ellen Ripley was "quite serious." However, she eventually found her way back to comedic roles later in her career.

The Enduring Legacy of Ellen Ripley The conversation naturally transitioned to the Alien franchise and the iconic character of Ellen Ripley. Weaver revealed that the team behind Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic never anticipated its massive box office and cultural impact; they were simply "trying to make a good small movie." The writers intentionally cast a woman in the lead role for narrative reasons. The original script featured ten male characters, which the creators changed to a co-ed group, akin to "dirty truckers in space." They theorized that the audience would never suspect the young woman would emerge as the sole survivor and hero. Weaver emphasized that the decision was based purely on story and surprise, though the outcome was unexpectedly significant: "it did somehow turn out to be that [way]" and became a seminal feminist step forward for cinema.

Reflecting on Ripley’s enduring influence, Weaver noted the character's ahead-of-its-time nature and how she resonates with audiences by reminding everyone "that we can rely on ourselves, and we don’t need a man to fly in and save us or something like that." She then offered a powerful personal observation, stating, "I do feel that women are the glue that holds the world together, and there it is: I’m just telling the truth.”

Weaver recalled the moment she realized Ripley had transcended her initial role in a "small" sci-fi film: it was during the production of the sequel, James Cameron’s Aliens, which earned her a rare Best Actress Oscar nomination for a performance in an action film. She praised Cameron, with whom she has worked consistently, for building an "amazing movie around the character of Ripley and her story." She recognized that the character’s trajectory—being cast out by society and forced into a position where she had to save the day—was a "beautifully written script" that resonated universally.

The Anti-AI Genius of James Cameron The discussion circled back to her groundbreaking work on the Avatar series, where Weaver plays Dr. Grace Augustine in the first film and Kiri in Avatar: The Way of Water and the forthcoming Fire and Ash. She lauded Cameron's innovative use of motion capture, noting that he effectively "invented this technology really to let actors be whatever they could be." She joked that Cameron felt she could believably play the 14-year-old Kiri since "he kept saying I was so immature anyway (laughs)."

Weaver provided insight into the unique working dynamic in Cameron’s volume stage: the actors work in simple motion-capture suits, forgetting the technology almost instantly. Because the capture process is the least expensive part of the production, Cameron invests heavily in the performance. He spends extensive time "working on what the scene is about, improving it, letting the actors try various things." The team does not move on until they are fully satisfied with the performance. The actress revealed that the lengthy collaboration, spanning two decades, has forged a deep sense of "family" among the core cast. Despite his reputation, Weaver confirmed that Cameron is "actually a very playful person," a "funny guy" who is fully present with his actors.

Weaver concluded by addressing Cameron’s strong stance against generative artificial intelligence in film. She described his approach as a surprising paradox: a "scientist, inventor, who’s such a genius at all this technology" has used it all to enhance the role of the director of actors. Cameron’s technology, she stated, "has enhanced the adventure of filmmaking" and is, in fact, "anti AI." She hopes more filmmakers adopt this process because it simplifies and purifies the creative experience by removing the traditional burdens of "lighting, it gets rid of costumes, makeup, setups, different angles, waiting for the clouds or waiting for the sun."