Sigourney Weaver gets emotional after being praised for her strong female lead in Aliens and possibly influencing Kamala Harris

Sigourney Weaver, the iconic actress renowned for playing strong female characters, recently became emotional when reflecting on her career.

According to The Wrap, Weaver teared up at the 2024 Venice Film Festival during a press conference on August 28, when a reporter suggested that her empowering roles might have influenced Kamala Harris's rise in politics.

Weaver, who was there to receive the Golden Lion For Lifetime Achievement award, expressed that the idea made her "very happy." The veteran actor noted that she simply portrays women as they are - strong and resilient.

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Sigourney Weaver on playing strong female characters

During a press conference, Sigourney Weaver was asked about the significance of characters like Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise, in potentially paving the way for women like Kamala Harris to ascend to powerful positions.

Weaver appeared visibly moved by this remark and said she was “so excited about Kamala.” The 74-year-old considered the possibility that her work had influenced Harris’s journey and shared:

"To think for one moment that my work would have anything to do with her rise makes me very happy, actually. Because it’s true, I have so many women who come and thank me.”

Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ripley in the Alien series has long been celebrated as a groundbreaking representation of women's strength in cinema.

At the press conference, Weaver spoke candidly about aging in the entertainment industry and how perceptions of older women have evolved. She said:

"Suddenly, I think they had decided somehow that older women could play interesting characters and started writing a lot of older women characters. Suddenly, we stopped being a joke and a mother-in-law, and we started to be real people because actually a lot of our audience are real people."

Weaver also emphasized that being strong or powerful is an intrinsic trait of women. She remarked:

"I’m always asked why I play strong women, and I always think that’s such a weird question because I just play women, and women are strong, and women don’t give up."

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Sigourney Weaver expresses fondness for Italian cinema

Aside from reflecting on her Hollywood career, Sigourney Weaver expressed appreciation for Italian cinema. She humorously suggested that alongside getting the Golden Lion award, there should be a clause allowing her to work with an Italian director as part of the award package.

Sigourney Weaver shared a personal anecdote about her child’s recent marriage, revealing that the first film they watched together as a family was the 1961 Italian comedy-drama Divorce Italian Style, a choice she found “curious.”

Unlike many veterans of the film industry, Weaver refrained from criticizing the superhero genre. She stated:

"Marvel is fine, and everybody should be doing what they want."

However, she made it clear that her personal preference would always lean toward Italian cinema and said:

"I haven’t really had enough of what Italian film means and gives us, so get busy Italian filmmakers — I’m available!"

Sigourney Weaver’s career, which spans over four decades, includes iconic films like Ghostbusters, and Avatar. The three-time Oscar nominee has now joined the likes of her American peers Jane Fonda and Jamie Lee Curtis, as a recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award.