Alan Tudyk's Best Live-Action Show In Years Is The Perfect Role For Him After A Sci-Fi & Comedy Career

After shooting to prominence as part of the Firefly cast, Tudyk capitalized on his time as Hoban "Wash" Washburne to snag more sci-fi roles. Eventually, he also started to be known for his comedic chops, and few projects have allowed him to combine these two skill sets. That being said, Tudyk's various Disney characters have still let him show off his range. Then, an opportunity came around for the actor that seemed almost as though it were created just for him. With the project set to continue very soon, it could be a contributing factor to Tudyk's already-massive 2025.

Resident Alien's Harry Vanderspeigle Is The Perfect Character For Alan Tudyk

Tudyk gets to show off his full range in the show

Tudyk has been the leader of the Resident Alien cast since it began in 2019. Having now portrayed the extraterrestrial villain-turned-hero for three seasons, it's now especially clear just how suited to the role he is. That being said, it was obvious right away. Harry requires Tudyk to draw on his vast experiences in both sci-fi and comedy in order to do the dramedy justice, and he seems to do so almost effortlessly. Resident Alien has bizarrely comical moments as well as scenes that tug at the heart strings, and Tudyk never misses a beat in either instance.

The majority of Tudyk's workload for years now has revolved around voice acting. He's brilliant at it, and he's lent his voice to characters in huge shows - including American Dad!, Transformers: Earthspark, and various DC projects. Thankfully, his return in front of the lens finally happened when he was cast in Resident Alien, and it's great to see him do such an amazing job as Harry Vanderspeigle. Plus, he also gets to utilize his experience with playing non-human characters not only in performance, but also with scenes that require an extensive transformation into Harry's alien form.

Resident Alien Is An Incredibly Underrated Show (& One Of Tudyk's Best)

The sci-fi comic book adaptation needs more attention

Although Alan Tudyk is one of Resident Alien's biggest names, he isn't the show's only appeal. The cast is filled with great actors who combine to create a thoroughly entertaining ensemble with tremendous amounts of chemistry. Other than Tudyk, the other big name is Linda Hamilton - known primarily for her work in the Terminator movies. However, Resident Alien is riddled with other great sci-fi guest stars, and its series regulars always knock it out the park on an episode-by-episode basis.

It may not be one of Tudyk's more well-known projects, like Firefly or the Moana movies, but that by no means makes Resident Alien bad. In fact, the comic book adaptation is easily one of the actor's best shows, and it even beats out many of his movies in his career highlights. It has viewers laughing hysterically one moment, and then sobbing along with the characters a second later. It's not the only show that does this, but Resident Alien does it just as well as most, and better than others.

What To Expect From Resident Alien's Future

Resident Alien season 4 is on the way

There was a worrying delay after the end of Resident Alien season 3 when it looked as though Syfy didn't want to continue making the show - despite its various cliffhangers. This was made even more concerning when season 3's reduced episode count had been the result of a last-minute decision. It seemed as though the eight installments were just trying to be shoved out the door so Syfy could cut ties, and that ultimately turned out to be the case. Thankfully, the show was transferred to USA Network and Resident Alien season 4 is now on the way.

For those who haven't seen the show, Resident Alien seasons 1-3 are available to stream on Peacock, and the first two seasons are also on Netflix. There is plenty of time to catch up, as Resident Alien season 4 isn't expected until late 2025 at the earliest. Interestingly, the upcoming batch of episodes is set to include Alan Tudyk's return to the director's chair after a decade of focusing on acting, which means Resident Alien season 4 will be molded even more by his brilliant influence.