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Sigourney Weaver played the badass chick in the 1979 film Alien, and its 1986 sequel, Aliens. The character's name was Lt. Ellen Louise Ripley, and she was the original protagonist of the Alien film series. Ripley is considered one of the most significant female protagonists in cinematic history. For her performance in the Alien franchise, Weaver was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, a BAFTA Award for Best Leading Newcomer, and four Saturn Awards for Best Actress, winning one for Aliens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Actress | Jenette Goldstein |
| Name of Character | Private Vasquez |
| Gun Used | Smartgun |
| Awards | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| Height | 5'2" |
| Nationality | Unclear, non-Spanish surname |
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What You'll Learn
Jenette Goldstein played Private Vasquez
Jenette Goldstein played Private Jenette Vasquez, a smartgun-wielding United States Colonial Marine in the 1986 film Aliens. Vasquez was a member of a combat unit dispatched to LV-426 to investigate the loss of contact with the colony of Hadley's Hope. She was among the last to be killed when she and Lieutenant Gorman committed suicide in an air shaft when faced with numerous Xenomorphs.
Goldstein's performance as the tough and memorable Vasquez won her the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was recommended for the role by director James Cameron, with whom she would work again on Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which she played Janelle Voight, the foster mother of John Connor.
Vasquez was a smartgun operator with the United States Colonial Marine Corps, part of the 2nd Battalion Bravo Team. She was the sister of Carmen Vasquez and had a close, possibly romantic relationship with fellow smartgun operator Private Mark Drake.
In the film, Vasquez and Drake secretly reactivated their smartguns using a backup battery after their ammunition was confiscated by Apone. They used their smartguns to fend off Xenomorphs while other marines were killed or kidnapped. Despite her badass persona, Vasquez was diminutive in stature, standing at 5ft 1 ¾ (156.8 cm).
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Vasquez was a tough, smart-gun-toting marine
Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein in the 1986 film Aliens, was a tough, smart-gun-toting marine. Her character was a member of the United States Colonial Marine Corps, part of the 2nd Battalion Bravo Team. She was a member of the combat unit deployed to LV-426 aboard the USS Sulaco in 2179 to investigate the sudden loss of contact with the colony of Hadley's Hope.
Vasquez was a badass, a tough, smart-gun-toting marine who was involved in combating the Xenomorph infestation at the colony. She was part of First Squad's gun team, along with Private Hudson, and had a long history with fellow Smartgun operator Private Mark Drake, with whom she shared a close, possibly romantic relationship.
Vasquez is described as diminutive-looking, but don't let that fool you. She was a force to be reckoned with, rocking out some pull-ups while simultaneously trashing Bill Paxton's character. She was also the only person to have more than one of their weapons featured as a "Legendary Weapon" in the video game Aliens: Colonial Marines.
The actress who portrayed Vasquez, Jenette Goldstein, has commented that she considers Vasquez to be an outsider, neither straight nor gay but bisexual. In an interview, Goldstein shared that she had no intention of getting typecast as a female Rambo and was frustrated by the spate of similar parts she was offered after Aliens. She wanted to be seen and cast for who she was, not just for her ability to shoot a gun.
Vasquez was a tough, smart, and memorable character, and Jenette Goldstein's portrayal added depth and charisma to the role.
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Jenette Goldstein is not Spanish
Jenette Goldstein is an actress known for her role as Private Vasquez in the 1986 film Aliens. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and spent most of her childhood in the city. Goldstein attended fine arts-oriented schools and was a drama standout. She went on to study at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and the Circle in the Square Theater in New York City.
Goldstein's first film role was in James Cameron's Aliens, where she played Private Vasquez, a tough, macho Latina character. Her performance won her the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress the following year. However, despite her convincing portrayal, Jenette Goldstein is not Spanish. She is an American actress of Jewish descent.
After Aliens, Goldstein appeared in Kathryn Bigelow's vampire film Near Dark, The Presidio, Miracle Mile, and Lethal Weapon 2. She then reunited with James Cameron for Terminator 2, playing Janelle Voight, the foster mother of John Connor. She also made cameos in Star Trek Generations, Titanic, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
In addition to her film career, Goldstein has appeared in several television shows, including Six Feet Under, L.A. Law, Strong Medicine, and ER. She has also continued to work in theatre, appearing in plays such as William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and Arthur Miller's "After The Fall", which won the 2002 Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Production.
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Vasquez's sexuality was speculated about
Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein in the 1986 film Aliens, is an iconic, badass character. She is a butch, fierce, and fearless member of the Colonial Marines, rocking out some pull-ups while simultaneously trashing Bill Paxton's character.
Vasquez's sexuality was never explicitly mentioned in the film, leaving room for speculation among fans and critics. Some have interpreted her as a lesbian or queer character due to her masculine presentation and the closeness of her relationship with Private Drake. However, there is no on-screen sexual intimacy between Vasquez and any other character, and the nature of her relationship with Drake is left ambiguous.
Goldstein herself has commented on Vasquez's sexuality, saying that she never specified whether the character was straight or gay because it was nobody's business. She also stated that the ambiguity of Vasquez's sexuality made the character more relatable to a diverse range of fans, including gay women, straight women, and a gay man from Guatemala.
The character's universal appeal, according to Goldstein, stems from Vasquez's character traits rather than her gender or orientation. Vasquez's sexuality remains a subject of discussion and interpretation, allowing for a range of entry points into conversations about the intersections of class, race, gender, and sexuality in the context of military service and film representation.
Vasquez's ambiguous sexuality has been both praised and criticised. On the one hand, it has been praised for allowing audiences from various outsider positions to identify with her. On the other hand, some have criticised the film for relying on lazy shorthand and stereotypes in its portrayal of a Latinx character, such as the illegal aliens joke.
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Vasquez was the toughest character in the film
Private Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein, is arguably the toughest character in the 1986 film Aliens. She is described as an "unstoppable badass" and is considered the toughest-looking character in the film, despite her diminutive stature.
Vasquez is a member of the United States Colonial Marine Corps and a Smartgun operator. She is part of the combat unit deployed to LV-426 to investigate the loss of contact with the colony of Hadley's Hope. She is involved in fighting the Xenomorph infestation at the colony and is the only person to have more than one of their weapons featured as a "Legendary Weapon" in the Aliens: Colonial Marines video game.
Vasquez is known for her memorable attitude and demeanor, which has made the character nearly as popular as Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, despite having only a handful of scenes. One of her most notable scenes is when she does pull-ups while simultaneously trashing another character for being weak.
Vasquez's performance in Aliens won Jenette Goldstein the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her portrayal of the character is considered so iconic that it has been turned into action figures and featured in other media, such as novels and video games, further solidifying her status as one of the toughest characters in the film.
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Frequently asked questions
The "badass Spanish chick" from the 1979 film Aliens was Private Jenette Vasquez, played by actress Jenette Goldstein.
No, Jenette Goldstein was not Spanish. She was born and raised in Beverly Hills, California.
Jenette Goldstein has appeared in Near Dark (1987), The Presidio (1988), Miracle Mile (1988), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Star Trek Generations (1994), Titanic (1997), and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
The cast of Aliens (1979) included Sigourney Weaver as Warrant Officer/Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, Veronica Cartwright as Navigator Lambert, and Ian Holm as Ash.
