Resident Alien starring Alan Tudyk boasts an impressive lineup of famous faces from some of the biggest sci-fi franchises in TV and movies. Since Resident Alien began airing on SyFy in 2021, the series has steadily grown in popularity thanks to its quirky sci-fi concept, and the performances of the leading actors on the show. Alan Tudyk is one of the most popular actors to appear in sci-fi, with credits in Firefly and the spin-off, Serenity, onto roles in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, DC TV shows like Doom Patrol, and animated shows, like Transformers: Earthspark.
In addition to Tudyk, the series has managed to attract several cameos from across the sci-fi genre, from Terminator’s Linda Hamilton to Star Trek’s George Takei. The ability of this fairly new show to attract such big names may seem surprising, but, series creator, Chris Sheridan, also served as an executive producer on another show which frequently features guest stars, Family Guy. With Sheridan and Tudyk working together and Resident Alien’s popularity, it seems likely that there will be plenty more cameos in the show’s future as well.
8 Giorgio A. Tsoukalos
Known For: Viral Internet Meme
Giorgio A. Tsoukalos makes a rare TV appearance in two episodes of Resident Alien, where he cameos as himself. Giorgio is best known for the viral internet meme which is frequently paired with text saying, “I’m not saying it was aliens… but.” This meme originally came from the History Channel show, Ancient Aliens. The show digs into possible instances of alien appearances in history, and Giorgio, as the resident alien expert and ufologist appears frequently. The story behind the meme and his inclusion in the show is incredibly unique and makes for a great cameo moment.
7 Michael Cassidy
Known For: Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Army Of The Dead, And Smallville
Michael Cassidy is one of the youngest actors on this list, and as a result, he has had fewer sci-fi roles to his name, but the ones he has had are huge. As the DCEU was ramping up, Cassidy was cast in the highly prominent position of Superman’s best friend at the Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen. In addition, he has also appeared in other Zack Snyder projects and smaller sci-fi hero stories like Smallville, where he played Julian Luthor. Resident Alien is yet another feather in his cap of sci-fi stories, as he appears as a returning cast member, Dr. Ethan Stone.
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6 Nicola Correia-Damude
Known For: The Boys, Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, And Titans
Nicola Correia-Damude is a rising star in sci-fi TV, having landed recurring roles in several hit TV shows. Her most famous role was playing Queen Maeve’s girlfriend, Elena, in The Boys on Amazon Prime Video. In Resident Alien, Nicola plays a more prominent role as detective Lena Torres, who serves in a neighboring town where Harry Vanderspeigle, aka, the alien, landed and killed the town doctor. Nicola does a great job as a determined detective, ready to step up and help the local sheriff’s department, whether or not they want her help.
5 Enver Gjokaj
Known For: Agent Carter, And Other Marvel Projects
Enver Gjokaj appeared as Daniel Sousa in both Agent Carter and Agents of SHIELD. However, neither of these were his first roles in a major sci-fi show or even a Marvel project. In 2012, Enver appeared in TheAvengers as a police officer by the name of Saunders. With the MCU timeline, it is entirely possible that Saunders is a descendant of Sousa within the MCU. Enver also appeared in shows like Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse and The Walking Dead. Now, his most recent role sees him appearing as Joseph Rainier, an antagonistic Grey alien fighting against the humans and Harry in Resident Alien.
4 Terry O’Quinn
Known For: Lost, The Rocketeer, And The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Terry O’Quinn has had a long and illustrious acting career with many highlights, but some of his best performances of all time come from sci-fi shows like Lost, and Star Trek, and movies like The Rocketeer. In Resident Alien, Terry plays Peter Bach, a human who saw his wife and child abducted by the Grey aliens before being implanted with an “Alien Tracker.” Terry does an excellent job on the show, with a performance that sees him switch up his character from an intimidating tracker, to a man desperate to be reunited with his family, and back again.
3 George Takei
Known For: Star Trek
George Takei is one of the most recognizable faces in sci-fi, having appeared in Star Trek: TOS, as the beloved Hikaru Sulu. Sulu was a part of the original crew of the Enterprise, and he went on to feature in several films and shows following this success. One of Takei’s most recognizable features is his voice, which is put to great use in Resident Alien, as the voice of the Grey alien who communicates with Harry. Bringing Takei in to lend his iconic voice is a great homage to foundational sci-fi shows, and helps connect it with pivotal parts of sci-fi.
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2 Linda Hamilton
Known For: The Terminator
Linda Hamilton is best known for her role in The Terminator as Sarah Conner. Since that fateful breakout role, Hamilton has appeared in dozens of other projects, including several Terminator sequels, and plenty of sci-fi shows. Hamilton has a major role in Resident Alien, appearing as a primary antagonist in season 1, before becoming an ally to the alien Harry Vanderseigle. As General Eleanor McAllister, Hamilton plays a woman on a warpath, tracking down alien forces on Earth, and Hamilton is perfect for this type of role.
1 Nathan Fillion
Known For: Firefly, The Suicide Squad, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Nathan Fillion is another big name in sci-fi for both TV and movies. However, he tops this list because his connection with the show is two-fold, as he starred alongside Tudyk in Firefly early in both of their careers. Fillion has gone on to appear in plenty of other sci-fi shows and films, including projects for both the MCU and the DCEU, with another role in an upcoming DCU project. In Resident Alien, Fillion’s role is highly comical, as he appears as an octopus named 42, with a foul temper, who communicates with Harry Vanderspeigle to eventually be freed from a restaurant aquarium.
Resident Alien
A television adaptation of the comic book series, Resident Alien is a sci-fi comedy that stars Alan Tudyk as an alien who crashes on Earth with one mission – destroy humanity to save the planet. When Tudyk’s character takes the identity of a doctor, he arrives at a small town and begins to act the role preparing his plan. As time passes, he develops human emotions against his will – but his plans are further complicated when he meets the son of the mayor – who can see his actual appearance.
- Cast
- Alan Tudyk , Elizabeth Bowen , Judah Prehn , Levi Fiehler , Corey Reynolds , Alice Wetterlund , Sara Tomko
- Release Date
- January 27, 2021
- Seasons
- 3
- Network
- SyFy
- Writers
- Chris Sheridan , Biniam Bizuneh , Sarah Beckett , Emily Eslami , Jeffrey Nieves , Tommy Pico
- Directors
- Robert Duncan McNeill , Kabir Akhtar , Shannon Kohli
- Showrunner
- Chris Sheridan
- Where To Watch
- Peacock
