‘Alien: Earth’ Star Babou Ceesay Breaks Down Morrow’s Tragic Backstory in Episode 5

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Alien: Earth, Season 1 Episode 5, “In Space, No One…”]

Since Alien: Earth landed on our screens, Babou Ceesay has impressed with his role as Morrow, a cyborg determined to deliver the various alien species to Weyland-Yutani. In the show’s latest — and undoubtedly, standout — episode, “In Space, No One…,” Morrow’s mission and drive are revealed as the action picks up 17 days before the USCSS Maginot crash-lands in Prodigy territory.

Morrow is the security officer aboard the doomed vessel, and when he’s awoken by the new captain Zaveri (Richa Moorjani), he learns that the species onboard have escaped containment, leading to two deaths and the kick off of one hell of a mystery.

Eager to uncover the reason for containment being breached and navigation being messed with to the point when a crash-landing is inevitable, Morrow begins to look at the crew through suspicious eyes. Ultimately, there is a saboteur in their midst, employed by Prodigy to ensure that cargo is obtainable to Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin).

But this saboteur is only one of Morrow’s problems as he discovers Zaveri isn’t as on board with the mission to protect the cargo above all else. And as containment is breached further, the crew numbers quickly dwindle.

Patrick Brown / FX

Morrow is determined to make his 65-year mission with Weyland-Yutani count for something, though, as flashbacks reveal his daughter Estelle (Haddy Ceesay — the actor’s real-life daughter) died eight years into his mission. Ultimately, he makes the executive decision to save himself and the cargo, and upon his return to Earth, he’s given permission by Yutani (Sandra Yi Sencindiver) to do anything he must to retrieve the cargo stolen by Prodigy. And he’s also determined to kill Boy Kavalier. Will he succeed? That’s for fans to discover as the season continues to unfold.

In the meantime, Ceesay breaks down Morrow’s mission, opens up about working with his daughter, dives into his character’s tragic backstory, and teases what’s next for the cyborg on his quest for revenge.

This standalone episode is carried on Morrow’s shoulders. Did you film the series in order and keep his story in mind while capturing his arc? How was the process of putting his backstory together with Noah Hawley?

Babou Ceesay:  No, we were going to shoot [Episodes 1 and 5] together, but then the strikes happened. So when we went back, we shot [Episodes 2 and 3], but by that point, I didn’t even have a script for 5. When I first met Noah, he was essentially telling me the story, so it was story time at his desk, and I had a pen and paper, trying to write down everything he was saying. In the end, I was just leaning in listening to this thing, and of course, I thought, how wonderful and audacious to have a standalone episode. Incredible that they dive into what happens before the series starts. So there were so many things that were playing, and the opportunity to work on a [standalone] episode with Noah was just phenomenal for me.

Patrick Brown / FX

I thought it was a fantastic story. When I finally read the script, I was like, “This is incredible.” Knowing that information definitely had an impact on [Episodes 1 to 4], and I think it’s wonderful that it gets to the crescendo in 4, essentially grooming Slightly, which is such a confronting… I read that and went, “Okay, I mean… he’s a kid. Come on, man.” But by the time [Episode 5] comes out, I love that the audience may have to go, “Oh man, is it justified? Does it make sense?”

When Morrow awakens aboard the USCSS Maginot, things are in chaos, and he’s going toe-to-toe with Zaveri over the mission. How did you establish Morrow’s loyalty to Weyland-Yutani through your approach to working with Richa Moorjani? 

At a personal level. I absolutely love her as a person. We have so many photos together [on set]. I was thinking, I don’t think I’ve taken this many photos ever. We were just chatting, laughing, having such a wonderful time together, and then when it’s action and there’s enmity, these people don’t get on very well. He doesn’t trust her or doesn’t think she should be in charge. There’s just so much going on there. And it was fun, though, because she’s such a consummate professional, in terms of work, and it’s there in the story so strongly that you can’t resist it. Once you start saying those lines, it takes you where you’re going.

We learn Morrow was saved by Weyland-Yutani as a palsied boy on the streets, and he eventually took on a 65-year mission for them. During year eight, Morrow learns his daughter Estelle died. What keeps him pushing forward with this mission despite having a big reason to give up?

Exactly. And I think he knew that going in, and the actress playing my daughter is my actual daughter.

FX

Oh my gosh, that’s amazing.

Yeah. I was supposed to be a younger actress, and we were in Bangkok. She came with me to film with my wife and my son, and Noah was like, “Can we cast her? Would you be up for that?” I’m like, “Whatever works for the show, I’m game.” So that was really a strong pull for me, looking at those old pictures of her and everything in the scene, it really affected me, and getting the opportunity to work with her, which I know Timothy Olyphant did with his daughter, so that was amazing.

How was it working with your daughter? That must have added to the authenticity of those flashbacks.

Well, Timothy Olyphant, I remember talking to him about it because he’d worked with his daughter on Justified, and I asked him how it was. He said, “It’s a dream. Just give in to it, and the thing you want to do as a parent is protect your child.” So I was thinking, “Is she all right? Is she going to be fine? All these cameras, all these people, what’s going on?” She was interested in what was for lunch, how things were going, and just enjoying having a day with her dad on the beach. And that was fantastic for us. Obviously, there’s an element of we’re stepping into an unknown space, me looking at actual pictures of my daughter. Written down, how does that fit in with the character? But if there’s ever going to be a project that I want to cross that line for, it’s this one.

So, considering your connection to your daughter and Morrow to his. Why is he continuing the mission? 

What’s the alternative? If he doesn’t continue the mission, imagine that lack of purpose. This is an excellent question, honestly, and it is one of the questions I asked myself very early on. I thought, “Why is he carrying on?” And I thought, okay, it has to be, what’s the alternative? If he stops, then he has to face the fact he’s lost his daughter. Imagine he’d been there, maybe he would’ve saved her. Maybe the situation that led to her death in a fire would’ve never happened. So the guilt, the doubt, if he doesn’t achieve the thing that has cost him everything, if he doesn’t see through to the end, then what is he?

Patrick Brown / FX

A man without a purpose.

I think he’s as good as dead at that point.

Morrow is called out for not sweating despite the chaos because he’s a cyborg, but by the end of the episode, he is sweating. Is that because the Xenomorph is on his tail, or is it something else? He hasn’t seemed too affected by the Xenomorph yet.

There’s that thing of some people think he’s synthetic because of my lack of reaction to it, but actually, there is such a thing as developing a deep zen, a sort of radical acceptance. So what’s the outcome? Well, one, the Xenomorph gets him and he’s dead, and of course it’s not a fun thing, and nor does he want it to happen. But the other outcome is that he gets away with it. He starts to panic. He doesn’t finish his task of what he needs to say to the computer to MOTHER, and to prepare the situation for the inevitable crash that’s coming. If he loses his mind in that moment with fear, he’s not going to get what he needs to get done, done. So he has to accept that he’s doing what needs to be done. When it’s finished and there’s enough time for him to escape, great. If not, he fights to the death against the Xenomorph and joins his daughter. So I think that’s it.

I made a choice that there are certain situations where he’s going to be super calm, and I discussed it with Noah. He was very much like, “Yes, this dude keeps his calm.” And that sweat was added by Joanna [Mireau], our incredible makeup artist, who had to stand there and drop this [sweat] exactly at the right moment to come down my face. But again, that was a moment of genius from Noah because this dude is human, he’s going to break a sweat when the moment comes. I love that.

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We also discover in this episode that Prodigy infiltrated the Maginot and caused it to crash. Is that why Morrow’s gunning for Boy Kavalier specifically? What can you tease about his revenge tour?

It’s not fair. Sixty-five years in space, all that effort put in, all those lives lost. He says that in Episode 3, it’s not fair. And I think that’s what I love, is that when the audience finds out in Episode 5 what had started this whole thing, this isn’t a random skip flying out of nowhere, it was pointed literally like an arrow because Boy Kavalier wants what’s in there. So, just for me, that’s a massive driver. He also tells Yutani, “I’m going to kill him because he is not fair.”

It’s not fair what he’s doing, and that really is a big driver. So there’s the loyalty, there’s the daughter that’s lost, trying to find a sense of purpose; layering all these things together is what makes this character so complex. But there’s also the fact that you can’t just do whatever you want with people’s lives. Not on my watch. I’m going to do something about it, he likes to think he can. So I hope that continues.

Alien: Earth, Tuesdays, 8/7c, FX and Hulu