Goin' South (1978), and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Cartwright's breakout feature was the science-fiction horror film Alien (1979), for which she was originally cast as Aliens heroine Ellen Ripley, but director Ridley Scott instead set her to play Lambert prior to shooting. The infamous chestburster scene in the film featured a genuine reaction from Cartwright, who had not been informed beforehand that blood would be involved; co-star Tom Skerritt confirmed this by saying "What you saw on camera was the real response. She had no idea what the hell happened. All of a sudden this thing just came up." She won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Her subsequent film roles include The Right Stuff (1983), Flight of the Navigator (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Money Talks (1997), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Kinsey (2004) and Straight-Jacket (2004). She was nominated again for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Witches of Eastwick. A frequent performer in television, she has played guest roles in such series as Route 66, Leave it to Beaver, The Mod Squad, Miami Vice, Baywatch, L.A. Law, ER, The X-Files, Chicago Hope, Will & Grace, Touched by an Angel, Judging Amy, Six Feet Under, The Closer, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Cartwright has received three Emmy Award nominations, one for her work in ER in 1997, and two for her work on The X-Files in 1998 and 1999. Cartwright also starred as Mrs. Olive Osmond in the made-for-TV film Inside the Osmonds. She co-starred in the fourth version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invasion (2007). She appears on the cover art for the Scissor Sisters' 2006 single "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" and on their second album Ta-Dah. In 2014, Cartwright reprised her role as Joan Lambert for DLC episodes in Alien: Isolation based on the original film, and appeared in the remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. She played the role of Sibley Gamble, a psychic on General Hospital, between July 8, 2019, and July 16, 2019. Cartwright's many theatre credits include Electra, Talley's Folly, The Bat and The Master Builder, for which she received brilliant reviews. Her performances in The Hands of its Enemy, The Triplet Collection and Homesteaders brought her Drama-Logue Awards for Best Actress. Filmography Film Television Video games Awards and nominations References Further reading Alien (The Director's Cut)