Sigourney Weaver Opens Up About James Cameron’s Grueling Filmmaking

James Cameron ’s reputation for pushing his cast and crew to the limit is well known in Hollywood. One of his most talked-about productions, the $90 million box office hit The Abyss, stands out for its notoriously tough filming environment. In a recent interview, Sigourney Weaver shared her thoughts on Cameron’s approach and why she was grateful to have missed out on this particular project.

Sigourney Weaver’s Perspective on Cameron’s Directing

After working with Cameron on Aliens, Weaver got a firsthand look at his intense methods. She recalled that while Cameron could be witty and funny off set, his demeanor during filming was all business.

He was wildly funny, witty. I can understand why that guy couldn’t come out during ‘Aliens,’ because that was a tough shoot, especially for him. Let’s put it this way: I’m glad I wasn’t shooting ‘The Abyss’ with him.

Weaver described a moment on the Aliens set when a young actress struggled with props, prompting Cameron to raise his voice. She stepped in, suggesting he try a different approach.

I sort of trundled up to him and I said, ‘You know, when you yell at an actor, you yell at all of us, so understand that what she was doing actually was very hard. Maybe shoot something else while she gets used to doing this stuff the way you want it.’

To his credit, Cameron listened and adjusted. Weaver later called him a good guy, noting that he’s mellowed over the years.

The Abyss: A Test of Endurance

The Abyss, released in 1989, starred Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The film ’s production was infamously grueling. Nearly half of the principal photography took place underwater, with the cast and crew working in an abandoned nuclear power plant in South Carolina. For six months, actors spent more than 70 hours a week submerged, pushing their physical and mental limits. Harris once admitted to breaking down emotionally after long days on set.

Even Cameron himself wasn’t immune to the dangers. During one underwater sequence, his oxygen supply dropped unexpectedly, putting him at serious risk. Harris later recounted a particularly harrowing scene:

We were guinea pigs, in a way, Jim wasn’t quite sure how this was all gonna go down… [in the drowning scene I was] screaming at her to come back and wake up, and I was slapping her across the face and I see that they’ve run out of film in the camera—there’s a light on the camera—and nobody had said anything. And Mary Elizabeth stood up and said, ‘We are not animals!’

Mastrantonio, overwhelmed by the demands of the shoot, reportedly walked off set during this sequence.

Legacy of a Sci-Fi Classic

Despite the hardships, The Abyss has become a cult favorite. The film earned four Academy Award nominations and took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Harris, reflecting on the experience, said:

It was very difficult, but it was worth it, I met some great people. The Abyss is a really great movie up until the last 10 minutes, which was the big disappointment. I like Jim. He’s an incredibly talented, intelligent guy. In subsequence years after filming, it was always good to see him.

The story follows a civilian diving team recruited by the Navy to locate a lost nuclear submarine, only to encounter mysterious underwater life and face life-threatening challenges deep below the ocean’s surface. The film’s demanding shoot and groundbreaking visuals have cemented its place in science fiction history.

The Abyss is currently available to stream on Disney+.