Seth Green on Hollywood’s negative depiction of aliens

Actor Seth Green recently sat down with Dr. Peter Diamandis to discuss space exploration. The two also discussed the unfavorable portrayal of extraterrestrials in Hollywood movies.

The discussion took place at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, July 15 as part of the museum’s Hammer Conversations series.

Diamandis, who is a co-founder of asteroid mining company Planetary Resources, CEO of the educational nonprofit X Prize Foundation, and co-founder of space tourism company Space Adventures, has spent much of his recent career championing space exploration. He and Green spoke about space tourism and the vital role it plays in the future of human space exploration.

The two also discussed the portrayal of space and, therefore, aliens, in movies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “On Hollywood’s relationship with space exploration, both Green and Diamandis lamented the film industry’s negative portrayal of the arena, with films such as Independence Day and Edge of Tomorrow pitting humans and aliens against each other.” Green commented, “There hasn’t been a positive alien movie since E.T.” And he even commented on how Hollywood influences the public’s perception of extraterrestrials stating, “It’s easier to change people’s minds through subversive entertainment than basic education.”

Green is passionate about space exploration. He has worked on a couple of projects with NASA in the past. The most recent project was a PSA in which Green discusses products and technology derived from NASA research that are being used to improve life on Earth.