Here's why Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver made a couple of surprise appearances on British comedy drama Doc Martin. Sigourney Weaver was a relative unknown when she was cast in Alien, beating out bigger names like Meryl Streep. Both Alien and Aliens would make Ripley and Weaver an enduring cinematic icon. While Ripley was technically killed off in David Fincher's Alien 3, she was resurrected for the aptly titled Alien: Resurrection.
Outside of the Alien franchise, Sigourney Weaver has worked in just about every genre imaginable. From the supernatural comedy of Ghostbusters to intense dramas like The Ice Storm or The Girl In The Park. In more recent years, she appeared in James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar - and is set to return for the upcoming sequels - and played the main villain Alexandra Reid on Netflix series The Defenders.
Which makes her shock appearance on ITV comedy series Doc Martin all the more interesting. The show follows the titular character, played by Martin Clunes, a brilliant surgeon who becomes a doctor in a small Cornish village. Doc Martin's aloof, naturally miserable demeanor is in stark contrast to the friendly locals, and despite his best efforts, he gradually becomes part of the community. The show was something of a spinoff of the 2000 film Saving Grace, where Clunes played another doctor named Martin, though their personalities were quite different.
Fans of Doc Martin were somewhat stunned to see Sigourney Weaver appear during season 7 episode "Facta Non Verba." Weaver played American tourist Beth Traywick, who tries to get a prescription from the stubborn doctor during a visit to the village. Weaver would later return for season 8 episode "All My Trials." While Doc Martin is a popular show in the UK, it's still pretty odd to see a name actor like Sigourney Weaver suddenly pop up.
Part of the reason Weaver appeared on Doc Martin is that she appeared as a guest on British chat series The Jonathan Ross Show, where fellow guest Martin Clunes and his producer wife Philippa Braithwaite offered her a guest spot on the show. Weaver is also close friends with actress Selina Cadell, who plays Mrs. Tishell on Doc Martin, and the two got to share some scenes together. Weaver reworked her Avatar 2 & 3 schedules in order to make her second appearance on Doc Martin, so she clearly has fun on the show. There's no word on whether she'll return for an upcoming episode, but fans have enjoyed her cameos thus far.