Sigourney Weaver Honors Late Alien Co-Star Yaphet Kotto

Earlier this week brought the sad news that actor Yaphet Kotto, best known to many fans for his role in the 1979 film Alien, has passed away at the age of 81. Fans have paid tribute to the late actor in the days since and now one of his co-stars from the Ridley Scott film has extended her own sympathies. In a statement to Variety, Alien star Sigourney Weaver opened up about her time on the set of the film with Kotto, addressing him by his character name, Parker, the chief engineer of the Nostromo, and signing off with her own, Ripley, the warrant officer for the ship.

"Every day Yaphet Kotto blew me away on the set of 'Alien,'" Weaver wrote in her statement. "He just went for it in every scene, making the stakes higher and higher and giving each scene a terrifying reality. It was a nonstop master class for me and I will always be grateful to him. Rest In Peace Parker…Over and out, Ripley." Three other main cast members from the original Alien film previously passed away including Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, and Ian Holm.

Kotto's death was announced late on Monday night/Tuesday morning with his wife confirming the news on Facebook, writnig: "I'm saddened and still in shocked of the passing of my husband Yaphet of 24 years. He died last night around 10:30pm Philippine time. This is a very painfall [sic] moment for me to inform you all fans, friends and family of my husband. We still have a lot of plans honey that we discussed you have a lot of interviews waiting and you have movie offers like G.I. Joe and the movie of Tom Cruise and others."

Kotto appeared in other mainstay hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s, such as NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, Live and Let Die, and The Running Man. He was 81.

The actor got his start in Hollywood doing Westerns like 4 for Texas, 5 Card Stud, and Man and Boy. His big break then came in 1973, when he played Mr. Big opposite Roger Moore's James Bond in Live and Let Die. Then came Alien in 1979, and dozens of action-based films throughout the remaining years of his life. He also reprised his role as Parker in Creative Assembly's Alien: Isolation game in 2014. His final film credit came on Witless Protection, the comedy crime flick featuring Larry the Cable Guy and Jenny McCarthy.