The Thing (1982 film) producer David Foster
Cast
Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady, the helicopter pilot
A. Wilford Brimley as Blair, the senior biologist
T. K. Carter as Nauls, the cook
David Clennon as Palmer, the assistant mechanic
Keith David as Childs, the chief mechanic
Richard Dysart as Dr. Copper, the physician
Charles Hallahan as Norris, the geologist
Peter Maloney as George Bennings, the meteorologist
Richard Masur as Clark, the dog handler
Donald Moffat as Garry, the station commander
Joel Polis as Fuchs, the assistant biologist
Thomas G. Waites as Windows, the radio operatorThe Thing also features Norbert Weisser as one of the Norwegians, and an uncredited dog, Jed, as the Dog-Thing. The only female presence in the film is the voice of MacReady's chess computer, voiced by Carpenter's then-wife, Adrienne Barbeau. Producer David Foster, associate producer Larry Franco, and writer Bill Lancaster, along with other members of the crew, make a cameo appearance in a recovered photograph of the Norwegian team. Camera operator Ray Stella stood in for the shots where needles were used to take blood, telling Carpenter that he could do it all day. Franco also played the Norwegian wielding a rifle and hanging out of the helicopter during the opening sequence. Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock also made a number of cameos in the film, most notably in an off-screen appearance as the shadow on the wall during the scene where the Dog-Thing enters one of the researcher's living quarters. Clennon was originally intended to be in the scene, but due to his shadow being easily identifiable Carpenter decided to use Warlock instead. Warlock also played Palmer-Thing and stood in for Brimley in a few scenes that involved Blair.
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