Jimmi Simpson Reveals Dennis Quaid Inspired His Alien-Eating Scene in Black Mirror!

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Spoilers for the finale of Black Mirror Season 7 are below.

Summary

  • “USS Callister,” a popular Black Mirror episode, gets a follow-up in season 7.
  • In “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” Walton’s digital self struggles to survive.
  • Actor Jimmi Simpson elaborated on the inspiration for a grotesque scene in the show.

The hit series “Black Mirror” has come back on Netflix for its seventh installment, and fans are excited as one of its highest-rated episodes is getting a sequel! Game Rant recently had a chat with one of the original cast members who shared some amusing insights about an oddly humorous scene in the episode and the source that fueled his performance.

The premiere episode of Season 4 in “Black Mirror”, titled “USS Callister”, marked Netflix’s second joint project with the show’s writer and creator, Charlie Brooker. Originally a UK success on Channel 4 in 2011, “Black Mirror” took a break after Series 2 until Netflix revitalized it on their streaming platform. The series’ dark, dystopian nature was recognized by Netflix for its long-term potential. Each episode stands alone as a separate story, with Charlie Brooker’s distinctive writing style providing cohesion. “USS Callister” delved into the consequences when a timid yet vindictive coder, Robert Daly (portrayed by Jesse Plemons), exploited the DNA of his resentful colleagues. He used this information to create digital replicas of them all for his own sadistic entertainment within a game mimicking “Star Trek”.

Game Rant had the opportunity to chat with actor Jimmi Simpson regarding his comeback to the series. Simpson portrayed Walton, a founding member of the gaming corporation Callister, who utilized Daly’s coding talent for personal profit. In the last episode, Walton’s digital persona made a self-sacrificing move to let the rest of the Callister team escape from Daly’s oppressive reign in an enclosed virtual world. They ventured into the public gaming platform for Daly’s game, Infinity, regaining autonomy over their digital lives. However, in this week’s episode and conclusion of Black Mirror Season 7, “USS Callister: Into Infinity”, it’s been revealed that Walton’s digital self has had to perform some extremely gruesome actions to endure.

The situation for the Callister team has grown increasingly risky since they were last viewed by the audience. Inside Infinity, they exist as tangibly as individuals in our reality. Unlike game characters, the crew members require food, water, credits to access crucial parts of the game, and crucially, they can die if hit or mortally wounded. In “USS Callister: Into Infinity”, it’s noted that Shania Lowry, played by Michaela Coel, was “shattered into pieces“, and her death is subsequently confirmed.

While the real Walton flourishes on the surface, basking in the limelight following the launch of Infinity after Daly’s passing, his virtual counterpart finds itself trapped and surviving on revolting, squid-like alien food on an unyielding planet.

Jimmi Simpson Talks About The Inspiration For That Hilarious And Gross Black Mirror Moment

When it’s discovered that Walton’s digital persona continues to exist within the game, the scene swiftly transitions to the planet where he reappeared. This place is far from idyllic. In a scene strikingly similar to Cast Away, Walton navigates through rocks and searches for sustenance in murky water holes. He impales an alien creature, which he then consumes while it’s still alive. Game Rant was intrigued by his sudden survival instincts.

Question 1: How did you find the experience of filming a scene where you had to devour a wriggling, extraterrestrial creature and drink its blood in an excited manner? What was it like working with such a peculiar prop and delivering your performance in that way?
Question 2: Can you describe the feelings you had while acting out the scene where you had to eat a struggling, alien organism and consume its blood, all while displaying great enthusiasm? What was it like for you, handling such an unusual prop and giving your best performance in that situation?
Question 3: In the show, there’s a scene where you have to eat a squirming, alien creature and drink its blood with gusto. Can you tell us about your experience shooting this scene? How did it feel for you dealing with that kind of prop and performing in such an intense way?

Simpson was really enjoying himself playing a scene that pushed Walton’s digital character into such extreme territory: ‘Let me tell you, it’s a blast!‘ He freely shared the source of his unbridled enthusiasm. Simpson looked back on a movie he watched when he was just twelve called Enemy Mine. This film came out in 1985 and starred Dennis Quaid as Willis Davidge, a spaceship pilot who finds himself stranded on an alien planet with harsh conditions much like Walton.

The movie left a significant impression on Simpson, as he considers Quaid’s performance to be ideally suited for the vision he had in mind for “Into Infinity.

Dennis Quaid possesses a characteristic that’s often discussed. His insatiable appetite for food constantly intrigues me. It’s the kind of dedication, imitated by other actors, to consume such extraordinary things that seems almost unbelievable.

For Simpson, this alien-consuming scene was undoubtedly a significant milestone in his episode role and his career. It’s safe to say that it felt like “a realization of a long-held dream“, especially considering that not many actors can boast about destroying an alien creature with their bare hands.

I was amazed when I realized that this is where my career had been heading all along. Filming that scene was an absolute dream come true, as it represented everything I have always aspired to achieve in my profession.

To discover what happens to both the virtual and real Walton characters, viewers must tune in to “USS Callister: Into Infinity” and the remainder of Black Mirror’s Season 7, currently streaming on Netflix.

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2025-04-11 04:24