Sigourney Weaver ‘hates watching scary films’ and tries to avoid seeing them

Alien star Sigourney Weaver has said she “hates watching scary films” and tries to avoid seeing them.

The 75-year-old was replying on The Graham Norton Show to Nosferatu star Nicholas Hoult, who said he initially did not want to appear in the film as he found the idea “stressful”, adding that it made him “nervous”.

Weaver – who made her name playing Ellen Ripley in the Alien film series – was speaking ahead of her West End debut as Prospero in Shakespeare play The Tempest, directed by Jamie Lloyd.

She said: “I hate watching scary films. I don’t mind acting in them, but I don’t want to see them.”

Her comment came after Hoult had said about appearing in the remake of the 1922 German horror classic: “I didn’t want to do a scary film originally because it is highly stressful, and I was nervous.

“Everything felt so real which made it so scary for me – when I was at the screening in Berlin I actually jumped so badly at one scene.”

Weaver went on to speak about her love of Shakespeare and her upcoming role, which is usually performed by male actors.

It will be her first stage performance in 12 years.

The New York-born actor said: “I am having the time of my life. I love working with Jamie Lloyd, who has a great, organic and supportive process, we have a wonderful company, and an exquisite theatre.

“It is about a woman being heard, seeking redress, justice, and retribution. I think it is going to be a spectacular production judging from the tech, which is very ambitious. It is also a funny and romantic play. There are so many things going on in it and I think we do all of them justice.

“Thank God it is like riding a bike and I am enjoying the Shakespeare so much. It feels so natural to me which is a nice discovery and the whole thing has been a wonderful surprise.”

She was also asked about working with director James Cameron in her role as Dr Grace Augustine in Avatar, saying that her advice to actors in his films was to “do everything he asks you to” but added that this was how she ended up agreeing to “free diving for five minutes” for the movie.

The Graham Norton Show will air on BBC One on Friday at 10.40pm, and is also available on BBC iPlayer.