YAPHET KOTTO REFLECTS 'ALIEN' AND DIRECTOR RIDLEY SCOTT

Yaphet Kotto serves up intensity as Parker in ALIENS circa 1979

"All of the scenes were challenging," said Yaphet Kotto in a Cult Film Freak interview about the classic science-fiction monster movie ALIEN. "Particularly when you know you have to act against sets that were huge. The special effects determined where you could walk. Then you ask yourself how can you survive in acting against a monster. Will you be remembered?"

On director Ridley Scott, Kotto recalls: "Ridley Scott was cool. He gave us a ninety-page outline detailing each of our characters and then he disappeared behind the camera. That’s how he directs; he operates his own camera." As for Scott's direction on the actors: "Ridley told me 'No, no, don’t start cozying up with Sigourney.'

Signourney Weaver and Yaphet Kotto in ALIEN

"He wanted me to annoy the crap out of her, which I did. He told me to get on Sigourney’s nerves; stop speaking to her on the lunch breaks, dressing rooms...

"All for the end of the movie at that moment when she blows up at (me) 'Parker' and takes over leadership. And I did exactly as Ridley told me. To this day, I don’t know if he ever told her. I will never let a director do that to me again! I asked him when I saw him in Canada at their film festival and the release of the Director’s Cut and I don’t think he had."

Harry Dean Stanton as Brett and Yaphet Kotto blue collaring in ALIEN