Alan Tudyk on How Harry Losing His Powers Changes Season 4: “It Leads to a Lot…”

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As the fourth season of Resident Alien unfolds over the next few weeks on USA Network and SYFY, we’ll get to see what Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk) is like without his powerful alien abilities.

Following a daring escape from their lunar facility with assistance from a sympathetic Grey named Bruce, the bearded Harry makes his way back to Patience, only to discover that a shameless Mantid has impersonated him, snatching his identity in the process. Eager to confront this intruding arthropod, Harry encounters an obstacle: his extraordinary abilities — including superhuman strength, immense cosmic wisdom, and shape-shifting capabilities — have mysteriously vanished, likely due to underhanded implants left behind by the Greys.

Consequently, the Mantid donning Harry’s disguise slips away, now liberated to chomp on more tantalizing human skulls.

Alan Tudyk on Harry losing his powers in Resident Alien Season 4

In an interview with USA Insider over Zoom before the new season, Tudyk explained that a significant aspect of Harry’s struggles this season stems from his lack of his usual abilities. To Harry, these weren’t powers per se, but rather just part of who he was. Now, he can no longer perform tasks he was used to doing, which presents a challenge for him.

He’s not functioning at his peak like he used to due to some sort of internal change, much like a physical injury. He’s grappling with this transformation, feeling less than what he once was, trying to understand this new version of himself. This transition has been particularly challenging for him in the series, as he’s increasingly human. It started way back in Season 1, and now, it’s reached its full manifestation. If we had action figures, they would label him, ‘Full Human Harry! No more Stretch Arm Grip! Can’t leap long distances!’ So, he’s trying to cope with this transformation, and as a former alien, this leads to some dramatic moments.

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Meanwhile, let’s delve into the subject of extraterrestrial acting prowess. The Mantid, disguised as Harry, is nothing if not theatrical, constantly puffing away on a never-ending string of cigarettes, strutting down Patience’s streets with the swagger of a ’70s dance floor king, and attempting, unsuccessfully, to charm his way through town as a magnetic charmer.

It turns out that Harry’s unusual behavior isn’t any more surprising to the townsfolk than his normal behavior. The only person, apart from Max Hawthorne (Judah Prehn), who seems to recognize the deception, is everyone else in town.

Alan Tudyk humorously noted that the character isn’t overly concerned about blending in. In situations where he feels vulnerable or exposed, he can imitate Harry, but otherwise, this character enjoys smoking cigarettes and expresses his sexuality openly. He has plans and ambitions for this new world, which he refers to as a ‘virgin planet.’ Essentially, the character has its own unique style and rhythm, as Mantid Harry has his own groove.

In a recent disclosure, the mastermind behind the series, Chris Sheridan, who serves as both creator and showrunner, as well as an executive producer, shared that Tudyk played a crucial role in shaping the Mantid character that embodies Harry.

Sheridan noted that at the start of the season, “The Mantid” isn’t particularly adept at sliding into Harry. He behaves differently, and there’s a certain arrogance about him. He seems to think, ‘What do I care about these people? They’ll mistake me for him anyway.’ Alan portrayed this confidently, and he even directed the first two episodes of the season, which made for a strong introduction to our current storyline.

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2025-06-09 17:31