“What I usually do, even if it’s only for my peace of mind, is draft a short bio of each character and give it to the actors before I go to work with them. I quietly sat down just for myself and wrote out seven bios. And it’s funny, it’s amazing – suddenly you’re writing a two page bio from birth through death. It starts to take on solidarity, three dimensions … I found myself arguing (with the actors) about very abstract ideas a few times and had to point out, ‘I’ve written the bios for me, not you. It has no bearing on the plot, but I just figured this is where you came from. So let’s just forget it, alright?’ But the bios did help, because they immediately started the actors thinking about their characters.”
~ Ridley Scott.
Taken from the Alien Legacy DVD set, these are the histories of the Nostromo crew pre-Alien and are allegedly derived from Ridley Scott’s character notes. Back in the scripting phase, Dan O’Bannon had planned to work out the character intricacies with the actors had he directed the film, and when Scott came onboard he took it upon himself to write the back story for each character. All crew members are accounted for here save for Ash, whose past remains redacted and elusive. Though Scott revealed that he had told Ian Holm of Ash’s cover story, the information hasn’t come to light and likely wasn’t written down. Massive thanks to Xeno_Alpha of Weyland-Yutani Archives for sharing these with me.
What do we learn about the wider Alien universe from these? We learn that the United States has expanded, probably taking in South America, as well as Canada, to become the United Americas. The UK, according to Kane’s dossier in the Alien Anthology profiles (which consist of the text seen behind Ripley in the inquiry scene, also made available here) is a full-fledged Socialist state. We learn that a civil war on Torin Prime broke out into a larger space-war at the beginning of the 22nd century, a war in which Dallas and Parker actively served in pilot/mechanic roles. Finally, we learn that there is a colony on the moon, now officially named Luna, which is the location of Ripley’s birth. According to the menus of the Alien Anthology, Weyland Yutani’s Lunar base sits in the Sea of Tranquillity. On Earth, they are situated in London, Tokyo, and San Francisco.
Note: if the profiles are derived from Ridley’s notes, certain information has been changed from the originals to the Legacy DVD release. For example, Weylan-Yutani sports the now typical d, and the unnamed planetoid of Alien is identified as Acheron, an addition of James Cameron. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to suggest that additional embellishments, additions and even subtractions have been made.
NOSTROMO CREW PROFILES
RESTRICTED ACCESS/EYES ONLY
TO: Director, Special Ops, Weyland Yutani Weapons Division, 937/AG-9.
FROM: Harbour-master, Weyland Yutani Drydock Bravo, Thedus.
RE: USCSS Nostromo, Flight plan, #233/04-A.
Sched Depart: Thedus — 12 June, 2121, 0600 HRS [local]
Sched Arrival: Acheron — 1 April, 2122, 1530 HRS [IST]
Sched Arrival: Earth — TDB
Nostromo flight plan cleared with Antarctica Traffic Control. Pre-flight checks now underway. Included below is the original crew manifest. Select the desired file.
DALLAS, A.J.
Captain, USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Male [Natural]
Nat: United Americas
Dob: 27 February, 2076
PoB: Wolf Point, Montana-UA.
Graduates Mercerton Flight Academy, [Flight Status C].
11 March 2100 – 9 January 2103
Serves as Navigator/Pilot on USCSS Snark salvage vessel, under Captain Van Shuyten, [Flight Status B]
23 January 2103 – 4 December 2105
Serves as Pilot on UTX Ganymede military cargo vessel, under Captain Britten.
1 June 2106
Commissioned into United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet. Stationed at Liberty Echo, [Rank: Lieutenant].
12 June 2106 – 17 February 2108
Serves as Pilot on UAS Leviathan fast attack vessel, under Major Baines during Torin Prime Civil War, [Flight Status A].
23 February 2108
Promoted to Captain following Liberation of Torin Prime. Receives the Sunburst Medal of Honour for meritorious service.
1 March 2108
Given command of UAS Archangel troop carrier, [Flight Status A]
25 December 2109
UAS Archangel destroyed in enemy attack during peace-keeping operation on Thedus, 15,293 lives lost. Ship unsalvageable, [Flight Status Suspended].
3 Jan 2110
Receives Dishonourable Discharge from UAORD. [Flight Status Revoked].
4 Jan 2110 – 28 April 2113
Whereabouts unknown. No further enhancement.
28 April 2113 – 9 September 2113
Smuggles weapons and medical supplies into the Solomons on civilian cargo vessel The Vider, under Captain Joshua.
14 December 2113 – 4 May 2114
Freelances special transport ops of hazardous materials for Weyland Yutani in the Solomons, [Probationary Flight Status D]
21 July 2114 – 3 December 2118
Purchases civilian cargo vessel Tremolino. Freelances cargo and transport ops for Weyland Yutani throughout the Outer Rim Territories, [Flight Status C].
7 December 2119
Tremolino decommissioned. Crew disbanded.
4 January 2120 – Present
Given command of Weyland Yutani commercial towing vehicle USCSS Nostromo, [Fight Status B].
KANE, G.W.
Executive Officer USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Male [Natural]
Nat: United Kingdom/EU [Dual]
DoB: 20 April 2083
PoB: Borehamwood/Herts-UK/EU
Attends Weatherly Private School. Graduates with honours.
19 September 2100 – 30 May 2104
Attends Gunning Foss Military School. Graduates at top of his class.
6 September 2104 – 13 February 2108
Attends Bryce-Watkins Medical University. Expelled for substance abuse. Treated for drug-inflicted embolism and stress. Treatment successful, [Medscan CERT#81712F].
16 September 2109 – 18 May 2112
Attends Wellington Academy, [Suffolk]. Graduates with Masters of Engineering, [Flight Status C].
14 December 2115 – 29 October 2117
Serves as Mission Analyst on UK/EU colonial expedition in the Outer Rim territories, [Flight Status B].
1 November 2117 – 19 December 2118
Serves as First Officer on UK/EU colonial transport vessel HMS Sabretooth, under Captain Lai, [Flight Status BA].
21 September 2118 – 19 December 2119
Serves as Executive Officer on Weyland Yutani salvage vessel USCSS Kenamor, under Captain Kahn, [Flight Status AB].
5 Jan 2120 – Present
Serves as Executive Officer on Weyland Yutani commercial towing vehicle USCSS Nostromo, under Captain Dallas, [Flight Status A].
RIPLEY, E.L.
Warrant Officer USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Female [Natural]
Nat: United Americas
DoB: 7 January, 2092
PoB: Olympia/Luna-UA
Spends childhood in lunar quarantine facility during outbreak of XMB virus on Luna. tests negative for XMB, [Medscan CERT#90156E].
15 Sept 2111 – 25 May 2115
Attend Evansbrook Academy. Shows aptitude for ethics, law, and corporate affairs. Graduates at top of her class.
1 June 2115
Recruited into Weyland Yutani’s Horizon Beyond officer training programme, [Trainee Flight Status CC].
16 Oct 2115
Successfully negotiates end to hostage crisis on Weyland Yutani shuttle craft Erebus. 49 lives saved. 8 terrorists convicted.
21 December 2116
Completes Horizons Beyond officer training programme, with honours.
2 January 2117 – 19 November 2117
Serves as Junior Warrant Officer on commercial vessel USCSS Kurtz, under Captain Archbold, [Flight Status BC].
1 December 2117 – 8 March 2118
Serves as Warrant Officer on Weyland Yutani cargo vessel USCSS Sephoria, under Captain Eliot.
10 March 2118
Request for maternity leave denied, [WY/REF#295150] See Human Resources for further enhancement.
17 March 2118
Files civil lawsuit against Weyland Yutani, [WY/REF#29162]
18 March 2118
Flight Status Suspended. Salary suspended.
4 April 2118 – 19 August 2118
File sealed under court order. No further enhancement, [WY/REF#42009]
19 August 2118
Request for maternity leave approved, [WY/REF#42017] See Legal [Settlements] for further enhancements. Request for reinstatement of flight status approved [WY/REF#42018]. Request for salary increase approved, [WY/REF#42019].
19 Sept – 27 Oct 2119
Maternity Leave. See Human Resources for further enhancement.
6 November 2119 – 12 July 2120
Serves as Warrant Officer on Weyland Yutani cargo vehicle USCSS Sotillo, under Captain Rosendo.
August 2120 – Present.
Serves as Warrant Officer on Weyland Yutani commercial towing vehicle USCSS Nostromo, under Captain Dallas, [Flight Status B].
ASH
Science Officer, USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Male
Nat: See Remarks
DoB: See Remarks
PoB: See Remarks
FILE UNDER REPAIR, ACCESS RESTRICTED
No Further enhancement by order of Weyland Yutani Weapons Division. WY/SCE-REF#0102/BG/E9
Updated 10 Jun 2121:
10 June 2121 – Present
Assigned as Science Officer on Weyland Yutani commercial towing vehicle USCSS Nostromo, under Captain Dallas, [Flight Status A].
See SPECIAL ORDER 937.
[In a nice display of attention, the Alien Anthology‘s date of Ash being assigned to the Nostromo before departing Thedus coincides with the amount of days Dallas ascribes in Alien. Two days, that is. Assignment date according to Legacy: 10 June, Nostromo departs according to Anthology: 12 June.]
LAMBERT, J.M
Navigator, USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Female [Natural]
DoB: 7 November 2093
PoB: Ontario/Canada-UA
Graduates Ontario University with Masters of Astro-Cartography.
1 June 2112 – 18 September 2112
Interns in Astro-Cartography Dept. at Ridton Corp. London/EU-UK.
7 October 2112
Marries Xander Chapman, Director of Astro-Cartography, Ridton Corp.
28 October 2112 – 5 February 2114
Serves as Shipping Lane Trafficator for Farside Lunar Mining, [Plymouth/Luna-UA].
10 February 2114
Divorces Xander Chapman, former Director of Astro-Cartography, Ridton Corp.
17 February – 6 December 2114
Serves as Assistant Navigator on Red Star Lines pleasure cruiser Infinity, [Mars-Orion route] [Flight Status C].
29 January 2115 – 1 August 2118
Serves as Navigator/Comm Officer on Ridton Corp salvage vessel Leggatt, under Captain Leigh.
13 September 2118
Marries Lordan Hessutt, Executive Officer on Ridton Corp salvage vessel Leggatt.
3 January 2120
Divorces Lordan Hessutt, Executive Officer on Ridton Corp salvage vessel Leggatt.
11 October 2118 – 19 December 2119
Serves as Navigator on Weyland Yutani scout ship Adowa, under Captain Payne, [Flight Status BC].
5 January 2120 – Present
Serves as Navigator on Weyland Yutani towing vessel USCSS Nostromo, under Captain Dallas, [Flight Status B].
PARKER, J.T.
Chief Engineer, USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Male [Natural]
Nat: United Americas
DoB: 4 February, 2080
PoB: San Diego/California-UA
Works as pit mechanic for Speedy Maxx high-speed terrafoil racing team. Travels the DAC racing circuit. Quits pit crew over salary dispute.
9 Jan 2105 – 14 June 2107
Recruited into United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet, stationed at Skyfire Down, [Rank: Private]. Serves as mechanic of heavy land transport vehicles and officer shuttles.
14 June 2107 – 1 August 2107
Promoted to Corporal. Serves as chief mechanic at Skyfire Down UAORD base.
1 August 2107 – 21 February 2108
Captured by J’har Rebels during Torin Prime Civil War. Imprisoned at Concentration Camp GR-161. Establishes underground black market for POWs.
21 February 2108
Escapes from Concentration Camp GR-161 during the Liberation of Torin Prime. Constructs emergency escape vehicle [EEV] from scrap.
20 October 2108
Receives honourable discharge from UAORD.
19 December 2108
Returns to Earth. No Further Enhancement.
5 September 2109 – 29 March 2113
Attends San Diego School of Astro-Engineering. Studies incomplete. No degree awarded.
2 October 2113 – 13 December 2113
Freelances as mechanic/engineer for Mexcorp, serving on various unauthorised medicinal cargo ops. No further enhancement.
7 January 2114 – 29 April 2115
Serves as Assistant Engineer at United Americas Accelerator Threshold, Neptune.
5 May 2115 – 19 October 2117
Serves as Assistant Engineer on Weyland Yutani commercial cargo vehicle USCSS Otago, under Captain Mortensen.
27 October 2117 – 1 September 2120
Serves as Engineer on Weyland Yutani commercial vessel USCSS Nonnabo, under Captain Keeney, [Flight Status C].
10 September 2120 – Present
Serves as Engineer on Weyland Yutani commercial towing vehicle USCSS Nostromo, under Captain Dallas.
BRETT, S.E.
Engineering Tech, USCSS Nostromo
Sex: Male [Natural]
Nat: United Americas
DoB: 13th July 2069
PoB: Houston/Texas-UA
Works as mechanic for family business [E-Z-FLY Spacecraft Repair, Houston/Texas-UA].
15 May 2094 – 21 Dec 2095
Works as hardware specialist for Solari Energy Corp at Osaka solar energy plant. Employment terminated, [SEC/REF#1288-7G].
1 February – 16 July 2096
Pilots high-speed cargo vehicles for Ridton Corp through Iranistan war zone. Employment suspended, [RC/REF#24901-N]
18 July 2096 – 4 December 2096
Receives treatment for alcoholism at Ridton Medical Facility, [London]. Treatment successful, [Medscan CERT#34008N].
15 September 2097 – 21 October 2101
Attends Houston School of Astrophysics and Interstellar Engineering. Graduates.
14 July 2108 – 9 November 2111
Serves as Assistant Engineer on Weyland Yutani waste disposal vessel USCSS Corazon Oscuro, under Captain Speight, [Flight Status C].
10 November 2111
Fails blood alcohol test. Flight status suspended.
9 January 2112
Undergoes cerebral detox procedure at Weyland Yutani Medical Facility, Titan. Minor complications arise. See Medical [Brain Damage] for further enhancement.
9 January 2112 – 31 March 2113
Undergoes therapeutic recuperation at Weyland Yutani Medical Facility, Titan.
3 April 2113
Passes Weyland Yutani Ment/Psych/Cog-5 exam. Flight status restored. Cleared for assignment.
19 April 2113 – 28 October 2117
Serves as Assistant Engineering Tech at Weyland-Yutani Fusion Reactor Facility on Titan.
3 November 2117 – 1 September 2120
Serves as Engineering Tech on Weyland Yutani commercial cargo vehicle USCSS Nonnabo, under Captain Keeney.
10 September 2120 – Present
Serves as Engineering Tech on Weyland Yutani commercial towing vehicle USCSS Nostromo, under Captain Dallas.
ALIEN ANTHOLOGY INQUEST PROFILES
With the release of the Alien Anthology BD set, the crew profiles from Ripley’s hearing in Aliens are all available. There are more discrepancies between the Anthology and Legacy with birth dates, schooling, and first names. Other information is strikingly close or identical.
There are also a few Alien name cameos in the dossiers, including the Hill Company (producer Walter Hill) the USCS Shusett (Ron Shusett) and Dallas’ schooling at Rambaldi High School (Carlos Rambaldi) and O’Bannon Preliminary School (Dan O’Bannon, of course), as well as Dallas’ one-time employment (8 transits, 678,000,000 miles) for the Tyrell Corporation (Blade Runner). The dossiers also mark the date 2/17/34 as being when the Nostromo crew was terminated, or at least, their contracts were. 12 years passed before the Nostromo was written off as forever lost.
Here are the crew names according to the Alien Anthology:
DALLAS, Arthur Coblenz — near fit, A.J. Dallas according to Alien Legacy.
KANE, Gilbert Ward — fits, G.W. Kane according to Alien Legacy.
RIPLEY, Ellen Louise — fits, E.L. Ripley according to Alien Legacy.
ASH remains simply ASH.
LAMBERT, Joan Marie — fits, J.M. Lambert according to Alien Legacy.
PARKER, Dennis Monroe — no fit, J.T. Parker according to Alien Legacy.
BRETT, Samuel Elias — fits, S.E. Brett according to Alien Legacy.
Dallas: According to the Anthology’s profile for Dallas: “Preliminary assessment of psych profile indicates subject’s hostility to authority had been sublimated in such a way as to cause a mild psychosis related to performing executive officer duties. Since the subject’s GMA should have risen with escalation of rank, it was determined that a retesting and orientation treatment was due. However, continuity in employment was disrupted 2/17/34.”
Kane: Kane is described as having worked for several medical starships, such as the “UKMS OUTREACH, class 12 hospital ship, crew of 14, 9 transits, United Kingdom Socialist Medical Authority Colonial Bureau”. All of Kane’s schools are the same as the Legacy, though the attendance dates differ by a couple of years. His birth is 28 March 2081 in the Anthology, 20 April 2083 in the Legacy.
“Subject is highly idealistic overachiever … under pressure at medical school, subject abused medication and caused an embolism with hospitalised subject … after psych evaluation at Man Hadley’s medical clinic, subject responded to career therapy and chose to study for a commercial pilots licence. After achieving it, subject became Executive Officer on a British hospital ship but again succumbed to drug abuse and was removed from position for re-evaluation … Subject may self-medicate with commercially made alcohol … treatment proved successful and subject was rated operational for duty again.
WARNING: Subject still exhibits high level of idealism and at this time his impulsiveness makes him a poor candidate for full command. Recommended that further diagnosis should be undertaken before upgrading subject further”.
Ripley: Ripley’s schooling is listed as “New York Aeronautics University … Boya Private School … Brea-Olinda Private School Los Angeles.”
“Performance ratings exceed average ratings of warrant officers in fleet. Due to highly motivated bio-environmental factors in subject’s childhood, prognosis for promotion to highest rank obtainable is probable …
AMENDMENT: Subject violated bylaw 87-B of company regulations by allowing natural pregnancy to come to terms during layover between hauls. After a committee review of the situation, subject was allowed to continue employment under certain mutually agreed upon conditions …
AMENDMENT: Subject asked for contraction re-negotiations under bylaw 17-G, related to intention to take two leave of absence prior to assignment to USCS Nostromo. After intensive contractual talks with subject’s lawyers, a compromise was arrived at wherein subject would accept duty on Nostromo and subsequently take leave of absence for personal reasons … Subject intends to spend more time with child. Psych profiles and Sylan-Donovan Curves register high level of guilt over lack of contact with child.”
Ash: Ash’s profile is typically bare: “Subject is science officer grade M-1 and has been operational for 4 years. Previous history and personal data are classified from normal Company personnel access due to the scientific nature of subject’s previous assignments”.
Ridley said in one interview: “I told him [Ian Holm] what university he [Ash] attended, what he read in, where he was born, and so forth.” However, Ash’s back story remains, of course, a cover story, as Ridley clarified that, Ash is aware of his android identity “in this instance.”
Lambert: Lambert’s Alien Anthology profile adds nothing too much of note, aside from one thing: “Despin Convert at birth [male to female], so far no indication of suppressed traumas related to gender alteration.” It seems that in the future parents-to-be can change the sex of their child in-utero. Lambert seems to have been a male for some time in the womb, before her sex was changed. Smells more like a small joke than anything that adds to the overall Alien mythos. The “so far no indication of suppressed traumas related to gender alteration” seems like a gag on Lambert’s pretty famous disposition throughout the events of Alien.
Brett: According to the Anthology, Brett’s had quite the troubled life, and “exhibited passive responses to violent childhood memories when given the Steiner/Korngold GMF Analysis, which indicates reversal and sublimination of hostility. In subject’s case, condition requires no external treatment strategies because self-adjustment had been obtained during company training procedures and due to friendship formed between subject and another company employee [Parker]. Passivity behaviour can be a positive factor on extended up mode transits. Subject’s performance ratings remained static throughout company assignment.
SPECIAL NOTE: Subject was remanded to company employment from US Federal Rehabilitation Program for Displaced Youth, or FREPDISY/subject committed a level 8 felony when 17.”
Strange Shapes 
It’s a nice touch in Ripley’s backstory to include “deined maternity leave”, too bad it doesn’t get mentioned anywhere in the first film. Just a passing mention would have sufficed.
But I think negotiating a hostage crisis was a bad idea to write in. I kinda like the fact that Ripley’s first encounter ever in her life with a highly stressed, dangerous, life or death situation is here, on the Nostromo.
I find this interesting but questionable. One thing one must keep in mind is that ALIEN was essentially supposed to take place roughly “100 years into the future”. This is reinforced by the fact that most of the crew wear Tri-Centenial patches to mark the 300th anniversary of the Independence of the United States (ie 2079):
– google “Alien Tricentenial”
I could see an additional 10 years or so (due to interstellar travel taking years or decades due to time dilation), but with the presence of those patches the time lines created above seem to be done after ALIENS (which pushed the time line farther, due to typical issues with dates in sci-fi movies, ie humanity not developing quite as fast as expected).
No need for Google, you can see the uniform patches here: https://alienseries.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/dressing-the-future/
Not in this movie. As Ridley says, it’s all fantastical. The movie itself tells us, via Lambert, that it takes ten months to travel from the planetoid back to Earth (a matter of weeks by the time of Aliens). Such a casual approach to space travel was probably why Ridley was later interested in The Forever War, since it presented a more realistic take on the subject.
First, we have no idea how big an event the Tricentennial was; I still in 2014 have a poster of the sailing ships that entered NYC harbor in 1776. People keep patches and memorabilia for years.
Where the hell is Parkers inquest???
An accidental omission. I’ll add it shortly.
Blimey, keep yer hair on…..
Bretts “10 November 2011. Fails blood alcohol test. Flight status suspended.” Probably meant to be “2111”. And the name is “Carlo Rambaldi”. Great site!
A bit on Lambert’s trans status: to me that reads not as her parents having switched her from male-to-female as a baby but rather as a corporate document in a time when someone choosing to transition at any point in their life isn’t viewed as odd at all (like it still is by and large today) but their pre-transition identity is still in some way noted for legal documentation purposes. After all, we don’t have the tech for parents to switch the physically-displayed sex of their child in-utero but writing “So-and-so of this gender (such-and-such opposite gender name, of opposite gender at birth)” is how a lot of legal and employment documentation for trans individuals is written.
Either way though I do agree that that’s written more as some sort of build-up to a joke about her disposition in Alien moreso than actual worldbuilding in the Alien franchise mythos. But it is kind of an interesting attempt at such.
I think it was a joke more than anything, rather than, as you say, an attempt at world building. The inquest docs were loaded with tributes to the original’s filmmakers that were likely to never be seen.
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Interesting that Kane’s buckling under pressure at med school is quite similar to Clemens’ backstory from Alien 3.
I beg to differ, thats just stupid.
Did Kane seem like a fragile type in Alien?
I didn’t care for any of the hippy dippy canadian agenda’s cameron added to the nostromo crews backstory’s in his movie.
In fact I refuse to recognize them.
That Weylan-Yutani is spelled wrong in alienS is proof that alienS takes place in a JJ Trek-esque alternate universe IMO.
…and that includes prometheus.
@Paul Rigg: I never made that connection! Kane is complex, for sure, and I’d love to know more about his propensity for “treasure hunting” that’s hinted at in Kane’s and Dallas’ throwaway lines (Kane: I’ll volunteer to be in the first group to go out. Dallas: Yeah, that figures.)
Reblogged this on The Nostromo Files and commented:
These articles that Johnny (Valaquen) writes are always a great resource for my own research into the fascinating universe of ALIEN!
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At the end of Alien, Ridley says she’s the 3rd officer of the Nostromo, this would make her 4th in command: ( captain, 1st Officer ( XO) 2nd Officer ( ? ) & 3rd Officer ( warrant ). So who is the 2nd Officer?
I believe that role is filled by ‘Executive Officer’ Kane.
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