What Happened to Carrie Henn Who Played Newt in Aliens?

Newt was one of Aliens‘ standout characters, being the understandably traumatized girl who survived against all the odds as Xenomorph took over her colony. But what happened to Carrie Henn, who played Newt in Aliens? Here’s what you need to know.

What Happened to Carrie Henn After She Played Newt in Aliens?

Carrie Henn delivered a knockout performance as Newt in Aliens, but she didn’t pursue acting beyond that movie. She had a voice role in an episode of Thunder Island, a series that intentionally pulled its actors from ’80s and ’90s movies, but that’s about it.

So what happened? Did her experience with Sigourney Weaver and the rest of the Aliens cast sour her on acting forever? Not at all. In fact, she’s frequently stated how much she loved working with Weaver, and the two are still in contact.

In an interview with Wired, she explained her love for Weaver. “She took me under her wings when we were filming, because I was so inexperienced,” she said. “I can’t describe my relationship with her, because she’s more than just a friend—what you see on screen is genuinely how we feel about each other.”

But Henn hadn’t sought out the role; she essentially got spotted at her elementary school, as she confirmed to AVPGalaxy. She was born in the USA, but her father was stationed at an RAF air base in the UK, which is how she ended up in a movie that was filmed in the UK.

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However, as much as she enjoyed Aliens, it wasn’t her first passion. That was teaching, as she explains in that same interview. “As a child, I always enjoyed sort of lining up my dolls, especially my Cabbage Patch Kid, and teaching to them, and I really enjoyed that kind of stuff,” she explained. 

So, when she returned to the USA with her family, she returned to a normal life at a regular school and eventually pursued a career as a teacher. On her Instagram, she describes herself as “…wife, mother, educator, and child actress,” but she’s left acting behind – mostly.

She was set to feature in an Alien fan film at one point, but 20th Century Fox brought the hammer down, and it morphed into something else. She’s featured in a few Aliens reunions and does attend some conventions, but her role as Newt was ultimately a one-off. 

So, the answer to what happened to Carrie Henn, who played Newt in Aliens, is that she decided to pursue teaching instead of acting.