There would be no “Predator” without Kevin Peter Hall, who played the main alien in the original two “Predator” installments. After all, moviegoers were almost given Jean-Claude Van Damme as an outer space lobster in the original conception of the role. Hall, meanwhile, did top-tier work inside the Predator suit, bringing a sense of physicality that made it believable that this critter could go toe-to-toe with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
With a height of 7 feet and 2 inches, Hall could tower over his co-stars and exude a distinctive presence on-screen. Hall’s height ensured he was a go-to performer for playing unusually tall figures in 1980s pop culture, including productions ranging from “Mazes and Monsters” to “Big Top Pee-wee”. Hall even got to play the total opposite of the malicious Predator by inhabiting the friendly titular role of Harry the Sasquatch in “Harry and the Hendersons.”
After portraying such unforgettable figures as the Predator and Harry, Hall’s exploits on-screen should have carried on for decades to come. Tragically, though, Hall passed away a month shy of his 36th birthday in 1991. After contracting HIV during a blood transfusion, Hall died of pneumonia stemming from AIDS in April of that year. In the wake of this devastating event, Hall left behind a rich filmography that’s still entertaining audiences today. Even just in the “Predator” saga alone, every new performer who dons the alien’s costume is taking cues from Hall’s iconic work.
