Alien: Earth’s Babou Ceesay Hopes ‘Man at Sea’ Morrow Gets to Figure It Out

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The first season of *Alien: Earth* concludes with a power shift: the children take charge. Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and the other hybrids, now understanding how they were manipulated, use their unique abilities – including Wendy’s newfound control over the Xenomorphs and their synthetic bodies – to take over Neverland. Wendy confidently proclaims, “We rule,” though the specifics of this new reign remain unclear. However, their control could be threatened by the approaching Weyland-Yutani security forces. The season culminates in a powerful image: Wendy, standing victorious alongside her brother Hermit (Alex Lawther), fellow hybrids, and two Xenomorphs, having overthrown those who previously exploited them.

Morrow is a complex character caught between worlds. He began as a security officer on the doomed *USS Maginot* and was later assigned by Weyland-Yutani to retrieve the Xenomorph cargo after the ship crashed in New Siam. Babou Ceesay delivers a standout performance as Morrow, portraying him with cold, calculated precision. Morrow represents the dark side of corporate power – a loyal employee who has been dehumanized and transformed into a ruthless instrument for his company. He’s unnervingly calm, intensely focused, and willing to resort to violence – even against those who seem innocent, like a child or a highly advanced synthetic being.

In *Alien: Earth*, Djimon Hounsou’s character, Morrow, embodies the series’ long-standing criticism of social hierarchy, raising the question of what’s left of our humanity when power is completely in the hands of corporations. According to Ceesay, who worked closely with Hounsou, Morrow is still grappling with internal conflicts. “He’s a complicated person with a lot of unresolved emotions, and he’s either trying to work through them, or simply trying to get by,” Ceesay explains.

While the children and the alien are important to the story, the character of Morrow is the most compelling. Though he’s still human, his enhancements and long life have made him distant and world-weary. What does he symbolize within the show’s overall themes? He represents purpose. Boy K. embodies innovation, the kids are part of an experiment, and the alien, in a way, represents the natural world. But Morrow is driven by a single, overriding mission. He speaks of dedicating his life to his work, having spent 65 years in space – the script even mentions him passing Neptune decades ago, prompting us to consider the life he’s lived. Purpose is at the heart of everything. We all grapple with it, because having a reason for being is fundamental to existence. Without it, what’s the point?

I really think he’s trying to find some part of himself, some shred of humanity, in what he does. It’s probably the only piece he *wants* to keep, honestly. He’s clearly devastated by losing his daughter, but he also feels like Yutani gave him a purpose, pulled him out of a bad situation. It’s a lot for one person to carry. I think what he really wants is to just *be* a synth, without all the baggage, all the memories and the hurt. Honestly, who wouldn’t? If you could just shed all the stress and anxiety, even for a little while, and just feel…free, you’d take that chance, wouldn’t you?

The story concludes with the children unexpectedly in charge, while Boy Kavalier and the adults are imprisoned. Morrow finds himself in a peculiar position, somewhere between both sides. I’m interested in your thoughts on how the ending plays out and what role Morrow fulfills.

He’s clearly lost and adrift. By the very end, two things really hit him. He’s surprised to still be alive, especially considering he works for a rival company. He wonders why they haven’t eliminated him-if the adults were in control, they’d likely keep him around only if he was useful, perhaps as leverage or for information. But the kids’ motives are different and harder to read. He’s also struck by the sight of Wendy, standing powerfully with Xenomorphs seemingly tamed and guarding the cage. He’s amazed by this and starts to question how she’s managed to achieve it and what she’s capable of.

Morrow is carefully observing everything and everyone, looking for an advantage – he’s essentially sizing up the situation like a predator. He might benefit if there’s a conflict between the adults. It leaves you wondering what will happen next, and hoping the show gets renewed so we can find out.

Morrow’s dedication to Yutani is really noticeable. The company rescued him from a difficult life, but his missions have come at a huge personal cost – everyone he cares about has died while he’s been away. This creates a strong internal conflict, and maybe even makes him question whether his loyalty to the corporation is justified. What do you think drives him?

There’s a definite sense of loyalty at play, and loyalty often requires sacrificing parts of yourself to achieve a larger objective. Soldiers often talk about the first time they had to take a life. We generally recognize that killing is wrong, but sometimes it feels necessary to serve a greater purpose, however awful that may be. That’s what loyalty looks like. It’s also what drives patriotism and the desire to be part of something bigger than oneself.

Everyone finds purpose in their own way. For Morrow, his dedication to Yutani is tied to his need to feel his life has meaning, but the overlap between those two things is small. There’s also a sense of affection involved – Yutani saved him and did a great deal for him. The elder Yutani was likely the closest thing Morrow ever had to a mother figure.

When he returns to Earth and discovers she’s gone, his priorities change. It’s true that even difficult mother-son relationships still contain some level of affection. Morrow himself wouldn’t be able to explain love – he’s too complex for that. He’s a jumble of emotions, but instead of understanding them, he simply finds ways to deal with things.

The question is how Morrow feels about the children and whether he harbors any resentment. The answer is yes, he does, stemming from jealousy. This is highlighted in a powerful scene where Kirsh comments on Morrow’s aging body, and Morrow responds by expressing a desire for the vitality of youth – wanting “one of those.” This moment suggests he wishes he could be like them, even imagining what it would be like to be entirely synthetic and young again.

Considering Morrow has spent the last 65 years largely isolated, he’s had almost no contact with children. Clem, played by Tom Moyer, the security officer, is likely the closest he’s been to someone young. Interestingly, Morrow seems to develop a kind of fatherly connection with Clem – a loyalty, yes, but also a hint of genuine enjoyment and a renewed sense of vitality.

Ultimately, completing the mission is all that matters. The cargo is the only priority – not individuals, not feelings. He always keeps this in mind, even though it’s difficult to ignore natural human emotions.

In the last few episodes, Morrow and Kirsh have some great, tense interactions. There’s a particularly sharp exchange where Morrow mocks Kirsh, asking what it feels like to work for a company that’s discarded him. Kirsh fires back, calling Morrow a nearly-human, self-loathing machine. Can you talk about how you developed that kind of confrontational relationship?

I came to the set ready to bring a serious, intense vibe, and Tim – he’s a great guy, really top-notch – suggested a scenario: what if our characters were rivals working for competing companies, stuck together in an elevator? He imagined a back-and-forth like, ‘So, how’s things going over there?’ I really liked that idea because it allowed for a sense of mutual respect and understanding. Even though our characters were enemies – ‘Okay, you’re a synthetic being, but you’re dealing with the stress of Boy K., and I’m dealing with Yutani’s problems, so we get it’ – there was still an underlying threat: ‘But if I get the chance, I’m still going to eliminate you.’

And they sure went for it. Did you enjoy the fight choreography?

I really enjoyed working on both projects. On *Into the Badlands*, I got to fight alongside Daniel Wu and Emily Beecham, as well as many other talented actors. For *Alien: Earth*, I spent nine months training in martial arts, which involved a lot of kicking, punching, and recovery with magnesium baths. Thankfully, Rob Inch, a fight choreographer I’d previously worked with on *Rogue One*, was brought on board. We created a fast-paced, intense fight scene that I loved. My scene partner, Timothy, was incredibly strong and physically fit – it wasn’t easy to move him around! [Laughs] He has a really solid core.

I’ve been wondering what people think of Timothy Olyphant’s hair in the show. One of my favorite moments was in episode three while filming a scene where my character, Morrow, was sweating and downloading data. Tim Olyphant came over and jokingly said that his signature look was his hair, and sweating was *my* thing-my character’s defining trait. I heard his wife wasn’t keen on him also altering his eyebrows, but Noah [presumably the director] insisted if he was changing his hair, he’d have to do the eyebrows too. I think it’s great!

The actor discussed the scenes where his character, Morrow, skillfully manipulates Slightly (played by Adarsh Gourav). He explained the challenge of delivering the tense phone calls, requiring a very controlled tone. He loved how well-written those scenes were, highlighting Morrow’s predatory nature. He focused on understanding what Morrow wanted from Slightly and finding the right level of threat. The actor shared that the director described Morrow as someone who was ‘never invited to a party, ever’ – emphasizing the character’s lifelong isolation. This led him to consider how Morrow would rebuild trust with someone he’d already frightened. He aimed to portray a character who could appear non-threatening enough to maintain a connection with the young boy and advance his manipulation, mirroring real-life dynamics.

I didn’t actually share the same physical space with Adarsh Gourav during those scenes. He was nearby, sitting just off-camera, so I couldn’t see him. We both wore earpieces, and he’d guide me through the performance. After each take, we’d check in with each other to make sure everything felt right before moving on. Adarsh is a fantastic actor, and we approached those scenes with the level of preparation you’d expect for a theatrical production. We also worked closely with the director, Ugla Hauksdóttir – she’s incredible – to carefully plan out every moment.

Did you enjoy the *Alien* movies before you started working on the show? Absolutely. I think I first saw all the *Alien* films when I was between nine and twelve years old. It might have been on tapes my parents had, or maybe on television back in Gambia. Either way, I saw them way too young! That scene with the chest-burster really stuck with me, but it also made me a lifelong fan of science fiction and horror.

I’m a huge horror fan! Films like the South Korean movie *The Wailing* are among my favorites – it was incredible. I remember being terrified after watching *The Ring* and not being able to sleep with the lights off for days. *The Conjuring* is a classic that still scares me even now. My love for horror goes way back, even to films like *Night of the Living Dead*. I enjoy all sorts of horror, including really old, obscure ones like *Zombie Lake*. Have you ever seen that one?

I’m not familiar, but I can imagine what it’s about.A great movie. Go check it out.

I had a chance to act with my daughter on the show – she played a younger version of the character my character leaves behind. Someone asked if she’d seen *Alien*, but she hasn’t. Actually, she’s a little scared of it! She also hasn’t seen *Alien: Earth*, and she’s more worried about the violence than the aliens themselves. She asks if anyone gets hurt or if there’s a lot of blood, and when I say yes, she decides she’s not ready to watch it yet. I told her it’s there whenever she feels brave enough. She’s only 12, after all.

So, it sounds like around the time she started watching movies is when this came up, right? I’m curious, what age do you think is appropriate? I’d be happy to show it to her now, actually. I think it’s important for her to learn early on that she’s strong and will get through tough times – maybe even need therapy later, but that’s okay too. I’d show her everything. We watched *Lord of the Rings* together and she wasn’t bothered by it, but she *loves* *Demon Slayer*, which is way more graphic! She just says it’s a cartoon, so it doesn’t phase her. I’m thinking of showing her *Alien* in a year or so, but I’m not sure if I should start with the TV series or the movies first. What do you think?

I think watching the prequel series first would be best, since it shows her meeting her dad and then leads directly into the main story. That’s a great idea – let’s do it! I’m really excited about that.

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2025-09-24 06:04