Jean-Claude Van Damme as The Predator

Predator poster

I'd always heard that Jean Claude Van Damme was the original choice to play the title role in Predator but I was not aware that the alien had a completely different design than what we saw in the movie. There were never any images or video evidence available of JCVD's involvement to illustrate this. That is, until now.

Have a look at what could have been the creature hunting down Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 American sci-fi, action  film.

Without the added cloaking effects, JCVD looks kind of comical leaping around the jungle in his lobster-red suit.

As fate would have it, JCVD left the film and the suit was redesigned, leaving the door open for Kevin Peter Hall to take over the iconic role. Not only was the suit different, there was a considerable difference in height between Hall and JCVD. "The Muscles from Brussels" is 5' 9" while Hall was an imposing 7' 2" tall.

Hall also played Harry, the Bigfoot creature in Harry and the Hendersons.

Sadly, he died in 1991 at the age of 35.

Now have a look at the Predator as played by Hall.

Here's a clip of Hall as the Bigfoot character Harry, in Harry and the Hendersons.