The Xenomorph is not the sole formidable force in FX’s Alien: Earth series; the heads of five prominent corporations oversee our world and its vicinity. The latest of these entities, Prodigy, is directed by the youthful founder Boy Kavalier, a spoiled trillionaire with an enormous ego portrayed by Samuel Blenkin, recognized for his performances in Mary and George, Black Mirror, and The French Dispatch.
Although Blenkin shared with Mashable that Boy Kavalier isn’t inspired by anyone real, he mentioned it was an incredibly enjoyable experience to portray someone with such freedom to act as they please.
“I was thrilled to take on this character, as I typically don’t get to play individuals with such an immense ego,” he expressed. “I usually portray young characters who are somewhat broken and vulnerable, so the chance Noah [creator, writer, and director of Alien: Earth, Noah Hawley] gave me to become someone who can enter a room and do absolutely anything they desire was a challenge I embraced wholeheartedly.”
In Blenkin’s portrayal, Boy Kavalier deliberately employs disrespectful body language and actions to exert power. He refuses to wear footwear while navigating his secret Neverland hub, spearheading a complex and perilous scientific initiative. He casually places his bare feet on desks while testing his team’s ethical boundaries, takes significant business calls with competitor Weyland-Yutani while lounging in bed (holding the tablet with his feet), and generally exerts his power with a mere snap of his fingers.
“That sense of liberation and teamwork allowed me to arrive on set and say, ‘Well, sure, you know what? I think I will hold it with my feet.’ But that wasn’t planned,” Blenkin remarks. “There were countless spontaneous moments I just cheekily inquired about. That sense of freedom and collaboration stems from being on a truly accommodating set.”
When we first encounter the exceptional leader, Boy Kavalier is at the helm of the company’s hybrid initiative, which transfers the consciousness of terminally ill children into synthetic beings. We witness him evolve into a sort of Peter Pan archetype, naming his facility Neverland, forming his hybrid group of “Lost Boys” led by Wendy (Sydney Chandler), and reading J.M. Barrie’s tale to them every night. Blenkin mentioned collaborating with costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb to create playsuits for Boy Kavalier, enhancing the series’ Peter Pan motif: “Initially, we nearly opted for pajamas, fully embracing the Peter Pan aesthetic, and we devised these fantastic playsuits.”
The true motivations behind Boy Kavalier will be revealed throughout Alien: Earth. A subtle hint arises in episode 2, when he articulates his ambition to triumph in the “intelligence race.” “People often assume it’s about money with trillionaires. Or ego. What I genuinely desire is to engage with someone smarter than me,” he states in a scene, nibbling on an apple. “At the very least, I hope that by equipping Wendy with a supercomputer for a mind and training from the finest geniuses that wealth can procure, I’ll finally get to enjoy an engaging conversation.”
Alien: Earth debuts on Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX with a two-episode launch, followed by weekly episodes on Tuesdays.