‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ at 50: 8 Fascinating Facts Behind David Bowie’s 1976 Sci-Fi Masterpiece
The musical icon almost wasn't cast—and that's just the start of this cult classic's wild behind-the-scenes story
Key Takeaways
- Bowie almost wasn't cast—the role was written for a novelist, not a rock star.
- His drug addiction kept him off the soundtrack—but shaped two of his greatest albums.
- The author wrote four stories that all became major screen hits across six decades.
Few people have pulled off the transition from rock star to actor more gracefully than David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth. The 1976 sci-fi classic, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, gave Bowie his first starring role and became a cult favorite thanks to its stylish atmosphere and the musician’s singular performance.
In the film, Bowie stars as Thomas Jerome Newton, a humanoid alien who lands on Earth in search of water to bring to his home planet, and it’s truly the role he was born to play. The movie is an ideal showcase for his otherworldly charisma, but it’s no rock star vanity project, and 50 years later, it remains haunting as ever. Read on to take a peek behind the scenes with 8 fascinating facts you might not have known about the film.
1. The director wanted ‘Jurassic Park’ author Michael Crichton to play Bowie’s role
It’s easy to assume that the role of Newton was written with David Bowie in mind, but this wasn’t actually the case. Originally, the film’s director, Nicolas Roeg, wanted sci-fi author and filmmaker Michael Crichton to play the lead. Crichton, the author of Jurassic Park and director of Westworld, wasn’t an actor, but Roeg was intrigued by his towering 6-foot-9 frame and unique presence. As Bowie’s costar Candy Clark recalled, Crichton had a vibe that was “a little bit unworldly”—perfect for an alien character.
2. The film’s music was by John Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas, not David Bowie
Originally, Bowie was supposed to write music for The Man Who Fell to Earth in addition to starring in it, but at the time, he was in the throes of cocaine addiction and the few experimental tracks he submitted were deemed unusable. When Roeg realized that Bowie’s soundtrack wasn’t going to work out, he hired John Phillips, formerly of the Mamas & the Papas, to create music for the film. Phillips was surprised to be asked to do the soundtrack given Bowie’s involvement, and he brought in former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor to assist him.
3. Images from the film were used for two David Bowie album covers
Bowie didn’t provide music for The Man Who Fell to Earth, but the film still appeared in his discography. His albums Station to Station (1976) and Low (1977), considered among his finest work, both featured striking images of him in the film on their covers.
4. The author of the film’s source material wrote ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ and more
The Man Who Fell to Earth is based on a 1963 novel by Walter Tevis, and it wasn’t his only book to be successfully adapted for the screen. Tevis also wrote The Hustler and its sequel, The Color of Money, both of which were made into films starring Paul Newman as a pool hustler. More recently, his 1983 novel The Queen’s Gambit was made into a hit Netflix miniseries starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a teenage chess prodigy.
5. Bowie’s suits were designed by the mom of an ’80s rocker
David Bowie changed the face of fashion with his artful take on androgyny, and of course, he looked stylish in his film debut. His sharply tailored suits were made by Ola Hudson, who also designed clothes for John Lennon, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder in the ’70s. Bowie and Hudson had an affair, and Saul Hudson, her son with her former husband, went on to be known as Slash, the guitarist for Guns N’ Roses. The Man Who Fell to Earth was Hudson’s only film credit, but her cultural legacy looms large.
6. The director worked with other musical icons
The director of The Man Who Fell to Earth, Nicolas Roeg, best known for his provocative 1973 thriller Don’t Look Now, starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, had a knack for working with musicians. In addition to giving David Bowie his first role, he had Mick Jagger star in his 1970 directorial debut, Performance, and cast Art Garfunkel in his 1980 film Bad Timing.
7. The film was made into a 1987 TV movie and a 2022 series
In 1987, The Man Who Fell to Earth was adapted into a forgotten TV movie starring Lewis Smith in Bowie’s role. The film was also adapted into a short-lived TV series in 2022. Bill Nighy starred in the Bowie role, and each of the 10 episodes was named after a Bowie song.
8. ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ inspired one of Bowie’s final projects
David Bowie cowrote a musical, Lazarus, featuring songs from throughout his career, as well as four new songs written for the play. The show was inspired by The Man Who Fell to Earth, and continued the story of his character from the film. The play debuted off-Broadway in December 2015, with Michael C. Hall starring in the role originated by Bowie, and sold out instantly. Sadly, it was one of Bowie’s final projects, as he passed away just a month later at 69 in 2016, following a secret battle with liver cancer. Clearly, Bowie was an innovator until the very end, and 50 years after The Man Who Fell to Earth, his work remains captivating as ever.
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