Alan Maxson is no stranger to playing monsters, from King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters to the Dune sandworm at this year’s Academy Awards. He’s even a part of the Bloody Disgusting extended family with appearances in V/H/S/Beyond and Creeping Death.
Maxson’s latest role is Orang Ikan in the World War II-set creature feature Monster Island. He shared insight into his experience on the film, along with some exclusive photos from the set.
“Monster Island was a dream project for me. I spent 32 days in Indonesia, and it was a blast.
“The creature suit is the most amazing suit I’ve had the pleasure to perform in. It was designed by Allan Holt and his team. They are extremely talented. The Orang Ikan just looks badass, it’s that simple.
“Not only did the suit look great, but it was so comfortable to wear. I had no problem running through the jungle, climbing waterfalls, performing choreographed fight scenes, battling a crocodile in water, or even doing wire jumps in the suit — all in extreme temperatures. And I’d do it all again if I could.
“We also had an amazing team on this set. Mike Wiluan, the director, knew exactly what he wanted this film to be and absolutely delivered. His leadership trickled down to everyone on set: the crew, stunts, my fellow actors, everyone was a top-notch pro. Genuinely one of the best teams I’ve worked with.
“But this film is not just important for me; I think we need more stories like this in our industry. They are not just monster movies, they are films that remind us of who we are as humans, whether that be a good or a bad thing. Now more than ever we need to look at ourselves in the mirror as a society.”
Monster Island is now streaming on Shudder.
Alan Maxson unmasked on the set of ‘Monster Island’
Creature suit set tech Bruce Mitchell, actor Alan Maxson, and creature designer Allan Holt on the set of ‘Monster Island’
Actor Alan Maxson and production assistant Farha Tsamira on the set of ‘Monster Island’
Alan Maxson stands beside his sandworm costume at 97th Academy Awards, courtesy of AMPAS.