Noah Hawley Makes Acting Debut in FX’s “Alien: Earth” Alongside Son in Emotional Flashback
Noah Hawley, the creator, writer, and showrunner of FX’s upcoming sci-fi series Alien: Earth, is stepping into a surprising new role — actor. Despite having no prior acting experience or intentions to appear on screen, Hawley will make his on-screen debut in the show’s premiere episodes, alongside his 12-year-old son, Lev Hawley, who is also acting for the first time.
From Showrunner to Actor — By Necessity
Speaking at an event in May, Hawley explained that the decision was driven by creative efficiency and a desire to create a genuinely emotional scene between the show’s central siblings. In a flashback, Hawley plays the father of Wendy (portrayed by Sydney Chandler), while his son Lev plays young CJ Hermit, Wendy’s brother.
“I wasn’t going to write scenes for it,” Hawley said. “I just wanted the emotional feeling of it… It felt like the best way to direct [Lev].”
By stepping into the role himself, Hawley was able to connect with his son naturally on set, helping him relax and perform. While viewers shouldn’t expect to see much of Hawley throughout the series, he believes the scene brings authenticity and depth to the family dynamic.
About the Series: A Dystopian Future on the Brink
Alien: Earth is set in the year 2120, in a world dominated by five mega-corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. In this era, cyborgs, synthetics, and now hybrids — human-robot fusions with consciousness — coexist with humans.
The story centers on Wendy, the first hybrid prototype created by Prodigy Corp., whose accidental entanglement with a Weyland-Yutani spacecraft leads to terrifying consequences. She and other hybrids soon face alien life forms unlike anything Earth has seen.
The official trailer has already teased five monsters, including the iconic Xenomorph, face hugger, Orchid, and Eye Midge.
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Star-Studded Cast and Release Info
Alongside Sydney Chandler, the cast features:
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Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh
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Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adrian Edmondson, Essie Davis, David Rysdahl, Kit Young, and many more.
Alien: Earth premieres with two episodes on Tuesday, August 12, at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX in the U.S., and Disney+ internationally. New episodes will drop weekly on Tuesdays.
