There was huge turmoil behind the scenes of one of the greatest masterpieces of the sci-fi horror genre: one of the main actors had to be replaced because of his drug addiction.
If you love sci-fi horror, you can’t go past the Alien series. In addition to the acclaimed first installment, many fans also love the more action-heavy second installment, Aliens – The Return, from Avatar director James Cameron. Few will know, however, that one of the central roles had to be recast. Because of hashish and heroin.
Terminator star took over sci-fi horror role because of drug problems of his predecessor
In the second Alien installment, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) once again goes to battle against the fearsome aliens, this time with a squad of hard-hitting Marines. As the third season of the Netflix series Movies – Those Were Our Cinema Years reveals, Marines leader Hicks was originally supposed to be played by James Remar (Django Unchained). But after a few weeks on set, he had to go.
James Remar in Dexter
The reason was his serious drug problems. After police found hashish and heroin in his apartment, he was fired.
Earlier, an incident involving a sharp prop gun had caused an uproar, as Screen Rant quotes from an interview with Al Matthews.
Michael Biehn
Director Cameron cast Terminator star Michael Biehn as a replacement, making a good decision in the eyes of many fans. As the Screen Rant article reminds us, Biehn made Hicks a friendlier, more laid-back character that has been popular in the community since the film’s release. Remar himself, while mourning the role, was, in his own words, glad for the opportunity to bring his addiction under control.
