Why was Men In Black villain Edgar The Bug so keen on a big glass of sugar water during his introduction scene? Men In Black is based on the comic series of the same name, which revolved around a secret organization defending the planet from alien threats. The producers originally had Clint Eastwood and Chris O’Donnell in mind for the leads, but director Barry Sonnenfeld opted for Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith instead. The two had surprisingly great chemistry together with the movie being a very enjoyable blockbuster ride.
Sadly, none of the sequels lived up to the original. Men In Black II lacked the soul of the first film while Men In Black 3 was mostly notable for Josh Brolin’s truly incredible imitation of Tommy Lee Jones. Smith and Jones decided enough was enough following part three, with the franchise attempting a soft reboot with Men In Black: International. Despite trying to trade on the winning chemistry Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth first displayed in Thor: Ragnarok, the last sequel was an utter dud and underperformed.
One of the highlights of Men In Black is the delightfully gross performance of Vincent D’Onofrio as Edgar The Bug. The bug in question is a large, cockroach-like alien who has come to Earth in search of a MacGuffin and walks around in the skin of a dead farmer named Edgar. This skinsuit isn’t a good fit, so Edgar The Bug’s skin is sagging off his face and his movements are jerky and unnatural. One of the most famous scenes in the movie is just after the bug has eaten the real Edgar and taken his skin, and it goes to Edgar’s wife Beatrice demanding sugar water.
She obliges reluctantly by pouring a large quantity of sugar into a glass of water, which Edgar The Bug eagerly drinks. Cockroaches are famously fond of sugar and sweets, which is why the alien is so eager for a large dose of it, and he’s also thirsty after having just eaten the real Edgar. To shoot this particular Men In Black scene, Vincent D’Onofrio actually drank around ten or so glasses filled with sugar and water, which understandably left him pretty amped by the time he was finished filming.
One detail Men In Black viewers might miss in the scene where J and K come to visit Beatrice after Edgar escapes is when she serves them lemonade. J subtly spits a mouthful back into the glass; this is because Edgar The Bug had used up all Beatrice’s sugar and it was too sour.
