You don't need any film experience to
take on the title role in an "Alien" film: you just have to be 7 feet or taller. Stick
around to find out what the final boss of "Alien: Romulus" looks like under all those prosthetics. There are plenty of familiar frights in director
Fede Álvarez's new take on the "Alien" mythology, "Alien: Romulus." Longtime fans of the
franchise can draw lots of parallels between Ridley Scott's 1979 original and
the series' seventh mainline installment, but one new element is the creature that some have
come to call the Xenoman. This nightmare monster, simply called "the Offspring" in the film's
credits, was born of Alien and human DNA. It's a hulking terror that was brought to life not just
through CGI, but with good old fashioned makeup, practical effects, and an actual human
actor by the name of Robert Bobroczkyi. Standing at 7 feet, 7 inches,
Bobroczkyi was born in Arad, Romania. He reached literally
incredible heights at a young age, standing at 6 feet, 2 inches when he was only
8 years old before gaining another foot at the age of 12. A former basketball player who
moved from Arad to Geneva, Ohio in 2016, Bobroczkyi attended Rochester Christian University
in 2020 before returning home to take more classes in Romania. Naturally, his physical features
made him an ideal fit for the menacing hybrid. "Get it away from me!" "Come on, come on, come on, come on, come
on, come on, come on, open the door!" It turns out that Bobroczkyi's height is something
that runs in the family. Robert's father, former ball player Zsigmond, is over 7
feet tall, while his mother Brunhilde, who played volleyball and handball, stands
at 6 feet, 2 inches. While he was confirmed to not have any hormonal or growth issues,
the young Romanian was limited when it came to playing on the court, suffering from
issues with his movement and stamina. He also dealt with scoliosis and lower back
issues, which made him unsuitable to play basketball professionally. Thankfully, these
issues didn't stop Bobroczkyi from putting on a creepy suit and taking on Cailee Spaeny's
protagonist character in the final act of "Alien: Romulus." If his IMDb page is to be believed,
the sci-fi sequel is his first film appearance. Robert Bobroczkyi had big shoes to fill, both
figuratively and literally, as one of several people who have acted as a Xenomorph on-screen.
The first to strike from the shadows came in 1979, when Ridley Scott enlisted Bolaji Badejo to
pick off the crew of the Nostromo one by one. Badejo was a 6-foot-10-inch tall graphic designer
who was discovered in a London pub in Soho by a casting director enamored by Badejo's long
legs. Like Bobroczkyi, he took on the role with no previous acting experience. Whatever
he provided was more than enough, though, as Badejo was instrumental in bringing one of movie
history's most terrifying characters to life. .
While Bobroczkyi's face was covered in makeup and prosthetics, Badejo donned
the Alien's trademark long, tubular head, as well as an entire body suit of tubes and biomechanical
piping. During filming, actor Tom Skerritt realized that his co-star was unable to sit down
in the suit, leading the crew to build a swing for Badejo to park himself between takes. Following
the film's success, Badejo was asked to return for a sequel — but instead he went back home to
Nigeria, where he later opened an art gallery. Sadly, Badejo passed away in 1992 due to
complications from sickle cell anemia. He was just 39 years old. Even though
"Alien" was his only acting credit, he left behind some legendary and large
footsteps for Bobroczkyi to follow in.