Legendary actress Sigourney Weaver is looking back on one of the most unforgettable moments in sci-fi movie history — and surprisingly, she wasn’t happy with it at first.
During a candid conversation at New York Comic Con 2025, the Alien star revealed she initially felt she didn’t quite nail the delivery of her now-iconic line, “Get away from her, you bitch!” — a moment that would go on to define both her career and the action genre.
Sigourney Weaver Thought Her Performance Sounded “Like a Little Nerd”
At the Comic Con panel, moderated by Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz, Weaver, 76, shared behind-the-scenes details from filming the climactic battle scene in Aliens (1986).
“I just remember, by that time we were in these big set pieces, and it took a lot of work for the crew to open the elevator door and have me in the power loader with [special effects designer] John Richardson behind me lifting the legs,” she recalled.
With the massive set and complex machinery around her, Weaver said she had limited chances to get the scene right. “I felt I basically had only one or two chances to get the line right,” she said. “And I remember when I said it, I kind of went up in pitch — ‘Get away from her, you [pitching voice up] bitch!’”
Laughing, she added, “You’re not supposed to do that! You want to sound brave. You should go down, but I went up, like a little nerd.”
Director James Cameron “Loved It” Anyway
Despite Weaver’s self-criticism, director James Cameron thought the take was perfect and decided to keep it. “Jim loved it, and we didn’t really get to do it again,” she said. “Maybe one other time, but not very much. It was such a huge sequence.”
That moment — Ripley confronting the alien queen to save Newt — became one of cinema’s most quoted and celebrated lines, solidifying Ripley as a powerful, trailblazing heroine.
An Unlikely Oscar Nomination
Even with her doubts about the scene, Weaver’s performance earned widespread acclaim. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, a rare recognition for a science fiction film at the time.
“I think I was surprised because it was very unheard of — and still kind of would be,” she admitted. “But Jim created such a strong structure for the story and character that it connected with people. It was embraced by the Academy, and that was so meaningful to me.”
Would Sigourney Weaver Return as Ripley?
Weaver also addressed a question fans have asked for years: would she ever play Ellen Ripley again?
The Galaxy Quest actress revealed she recently read a compelling new idea from longtime collaborator Walter Hill, who penned a 50-page treatment imagining where Ripley’s life might be now.
“You know, Walter is a very good friend of mine, and what he’s written is quite extraordinary,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I’ve had a meeting with Fox — or Disney, or whoever it is now,” she joked.
“I’ve never felt the need to reprise the role. I was always like, ‘Let her rest, let her recover.’ But what Walter has written feels so true to me.”
Ripley’s Enduring Legacy
Ripley first appeared in Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien, surviving against the terrifying Xenomorph to become one of film’s most enduring heroes. Weaver went on to star in Aliens (1986), Alien³ (1992), and Alien: Resurrection (1997), redefining female leads in action and science fiction.
Over four decades later, the character’s influence remains unmatched — inspiring countless heroines and earning Weaver her place among Hollywood’s most respected performers.
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