Dan Trachtenberg’s “Predator” prequel “Prey” has dominated social media buzz since debuting Aug. 5 on Hulu, and the horror-action film has since become the streamer’s biggest original film or TV launch in history. The movie has made instant stars out of Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers. But what about Dane DiLiegro? If you don’t know his name, then you certainly know his work in “Prey” considering he’s the man underneath all that Predator makeup and prosthetics.
“I was told to bring a balletic svelte-ness to this creature,” DiLiegro recently told The New York Times about becoming the Predator. “The No. 1 word the director used was ‘feral.’”
DiLiegro stands 6 feet 8½ inches tall and before playing creatures in Hollywood he was a basketball player, first at the University of New Hampshire and then for eight years professionally in Europe. His road to the movies started when he answered an ad in his Boston hometown to be an extra in a movie.
“I ended up just standing around the set all day, talking to the stunt coordinator,” DiLiegro said, adding that it was the stunt coordinator who first told him, “Dude, you need to be in monster movies.”
DiLiegro’s first gig was starring in a Korean series for Netflix titled “Sweet Home,” where he played “a mutated human the size of a door who would smash through walls and chase people and crush them.”
“I had to wear this foam latex suit that weighed 80 pounds,” DiLiegro said. “My feet were four inches off the floor and my toes stuck out four inches. I weighed 320 pounds with that suit, and foam latex is a sponge, so the weight would increase as the day went by. I had never acted before. Ok, in summer camp I think I did drama but it was, like, an elective.”
DiLiegro would go on to play a creature in “American Horror Story” and then take on the role of the Predator in “Prey.” He currently lives in West Hollywood and told The Times he is studying the work of creature master Doug Jones, best known for playing monsters in Guillermo del Toro projects such as “Hellboy” and “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
“People don’t realize there’s a lot of nuance that goes into playing a monster,” DiLiegro said. “With each movement, your body is telling a story. Someday, I hope to play a human, too.”
“Prey” is now streaming on Hulu.
FAQs
DiLiegro stands 6 feet 8½ inches tall and before playing creatures in Hollywood he was a basketball player, first at the University of New Hampshire and then for eight years professionally in Europe. His road to the movies started when he answered an ad in his Boston hometown to be an extra in a movie.
Who is the monster in Prey? ›
Dane DiLiegro as the Feral Predator, shown to wield primitive versions of the advanced weaponry used by Predators in previous future-set films, which Naru calls a Mupitsi after a monster in Comanche folklore. Bennett Taylor as Raphael Adolini, an Italian translator hired by the French.
Who played Alien in Prey? ›
With the new “Predator” prequel, “Prey” (now streaming on Hulu), set in the Comanche nation in 1719, director Dan Trachtenberg wanted a more appropriate design for the iconic alien hunter. He's leaner, more feral, and primitive-looking (played by Dane DiLiegro in a special effects costume).
Can a Prey also be a predator? ›
Yes, an organism which is a prey to other organism can also act as a predator of some other organism. Example: Frog is a predator of grasshopper and its a prey for snake.
How tall is the Yautja in Prey? ›
Predators (Yautja) have heights typically between 7'–8' (2.13–2.44 m). The Predator is the name given to the extraterrestrial species features in the Predator science-fiction franchise.
Who is the 6 8 guy that plays monsters in movies? ›
Dane Diliegro's breakthrough role as the feral Predator in 2022's Prey marked him as one to watch in the genre space. Now, the 6'8″ actor can be seen going feral on screen once more in Imaginary, as the more monstrous version of Chauncey the Bear.
Who killed the alien in Prey? ›
Those trappers also end up being slaughtered by the Predator, as their weaponry is no match for its armor and brute strength. Eventually, Naru manages to lure the Predator into a swamp and wounds it, then finally tricks it into killing itself with its laser sighted crossbow as she'd stolen its mask.
Will there be a prey 2? ›
Prey 2 has officially been confirmed with original star Amber Midthunder in talks to return as Naru. Prey helped to revitalize the franchise, and Prey 2 is perhaps the most in-demand Predator sequel in decades.
Who was the girl in Prey? ›
Her first credit was in 2008's Sunshine Cleaning. Midthunder proceeded to work in various productions filmed in New Mexico, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to pursue more acting opportunities. She starred as Naru in Prey, the fifth installment of the Predator franchise.
Can predators befriend prey? ›
Some researchers have made the case that predator and prey, stripped of the rules of the natural world, are actually well situated for friendship. “Predator and prey animals are already set up to know how to read each other,” said Donna Haraway, the author of When Species Meet.
Yes, there are definitely cases of a forged friendship between animals that are normally predators and prey – in fact, most of these friendships have occurred not just in captivity, but also in the wild!
Is there another predator after prey? ›
New 'Predator' Movie in the Works with Dan Trachtenberg Directing. The filmmaker is back on the hunt after reinvigorating 20th Century Studios' sci-fi franchise with 2022's hit 'Prey.
Who are the bad guys in Prey? ›
Mother is the main antagonist of the game Prey. Formerly a human, Mother was abducted by an alien vessel known as the Sphere many years prior to the game's events and managed to fight her way to the previous Mother, where she was met with a choice, either to become the new Mother or watch her people perish.
Who is the imposter cook in Prey? ›
You get your next clue about the impasta comes during "Restore From Backup." There's a dying-breath email you'll find on Danielle's computer identifying the c(r)ook as one of TranStar's volunteers, Luka Golubkin.
Why does the Predator in Prey look weird? ›
Trachtenberg stated in an interview that he wanted to make the Predator more of a "creature" and make the head more proportional to the body, while keeping the design intimidating.
Who is the main antagonist in Prey? ›
Naru regarding the Feral Predator. The Feral Predator, known to the Comanche as the Mupitsl, is the main antagonist of the 2022 science-fiction action film Prey, the fifth installment of the Predator franchise and the prequel to the original 1987 film Predator.
