Will Stephen Root Return to Resident Alien? Plus, Who He'd Cast as Harry's Mother
In a show where both time travel and head-munching insects are regular occurrences, nothing is out of the question.
This story contains spoilers for Resident Alien Season 4, Episode 7, “Daddy Issues."
Will Harry's father ever return to Resident Alien?
It seems unlikely, given the disappointed patriarch played by guest star Stephen Root was murdered by his own son (Alan Tudyk) in Season 4, Episode 7 (the aptly-titled "Daddy Issues") with a fireplace poker. After spending so much time among our species, Harry Vanderspeigle is no longer just pretending to be a human — he actually is one.
The loss of his great strength and intellect at the start of the season ultimately helped him come to the realization that he has grown a soul, which should be impossible, because humans are the only beings in the universe known to possess them. And yet, when it comes down to it, Harry chooses a once-great enemy, Max Hawthorne (Judah Prehn), over his own flesh and blood.
While a sudden resurrection isn't out of the question in a universe where time travel and head-munching insects are both regular occurrences, something tells us we won't be seeing Papa Vanderspeigle rise from the grave anytime soon. However, Root, ever the optimist, holds out hope, and even shares an idea of how to bring the character back into the fold.
Stephen Root on whether he'll ever return to Resident Alien as Harry's dad
"You’re always hoping [it'll happen with] a character you love, and this was really fun to play," the actor said over a Zoom call with USA Insider. "[I'm hoping] that there will be some kind of flashback where you could maybe see his familial [background]; see his brother, see his mother, and see if his dad hates him as much as he does on Earth. There’s dialogue within the show saying, ‘You’re OK, but your brother’s super!’ And we got to speak a little alien there, too, which was really fun."
When we asked who he'd fan-cast as Harry's mother, Root gave us two options. If he could pick from any actress, alive or dead, he'd go with June Lockhart of Lassie and Lost in Space fame. If he had to choose someone still drawing breath, he'd pick The White Lotus alum Parker Posey: "I think she’s amazing and she’s wacky," he said. "I think that she would be fantastic."
As a self-professed "sci-fi guy" who grew up on a steady diet of Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Ray Bradbury, the celebrated character actor known for dozens of projects across film and television is always looking for a job that will satisfy his genre fix.
"I love to go on shows and say, ‘Oh, here’s this universe right here!' [I love when] it’s not fake, and really looks like what it is," he explained. "I had the same feeling years ago when I walked onto the Star Trek: The Next Generation set and went, ‘Oh, the bridge is made of beautiful burled wood. It’s fantastic!’ So I felt the same way on [Resident Alien]. Very fun to see it."
Sadly, Root did not get the full alien makeup treatment, having to satisfy himself for a single scene where he could "nerd out and put on some alien hands" (most likely the moment when he's snacking at Harry's kitchen table). Other than a small glimpse of daddy-o's true form through Max's eyes, Vanderspeigle Sr. opts for a cowboy-inspired look, complete with leather boots, cowhide jacket, and Stetson hat.
"I thought that was really interesting," Root said. "We talked about it because our first introduction to the guy is him wearing this huge cowboy hat. And I said, ‘What’s that about?’ [Alan] said, ‘I don’t know!’ I said, ‘I love it!’ He’s kind of a cowboy himself. He’s the guy [who says], ‘You gotta get this done and you haven’t frickin’ gotten this done. You haven’t killed all these people!’ I felt like a cowboy on that set, so I was happy to have the accoutrements."
Season 4 of Resident Alien drops new episodes on Fridays on USA Network and SYFY. All episodes are available to stream exclusively on Peacock one week after they air.
