There is one thing that comes up whenever discussing 28 Years Later and its new sequel. It’s not Ralph Fiennes’ powerful performance, and it’s not Jack O’Connell’s menacing turn. Instead, people can’t stop talking about Chi Lewis-Parry’s Samson, or more specifically, that prosthetic penis belonging to the well-endowed alpha. And now the actor has thoughts.
When catching up with Variety just before 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple premiered as part of the 2026 movie schedule, Lewis-Parry said the whole business of his prosthetic dong taking the internet by storm last summer “was to be expected.” However, he had another takeaway from the experience, looking back:
It was to be expected. I’m not mad about it — not even now. But I don’t want to take away an ounce of credibility from the immense work that everyone put into these films. Everyone is incredible. And I don’t want Samson’s prosthetic to steal any of the shine.
You can see where he’s coming from in this regard. Sure, Samson is a major part of the terrifying 2025 horror movie, but a lot of the discourse surrounding the film has been jokes about that massive piece of costuming between Lewis-Parry’s legs.
From Alex Garland’s masterful screenplay to Danny Boyle’s direction to the star-making performance from Alfie Williams as Spike, there was so much to champion in 28 Years Later. Yet here we are, talking about a rubber and foam penis instead of the way the movie handles grief, growing up, and new beginnings.
Though a large chunk of the internet seems to be preoccupied with Samson’s appearance, Lewis-Parry went on to explain in his interview that he was more interested in Samson’s character, story, and journey moving forward in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, saying:
You do many characters and you never revisit them. But this is a character I have a relationship with — so I care about how he’s perceived. That could be seen as silly, but I care about the characters so I care about what I’m putting into it. I really wanted him to be well received, so I’m elated that he is.
Though the new movie does feature even more of Samson’s beefed-up physique, the bafflingly underperforming sequel also further expands the character and his past while also teasing what’s next for the behemoth. This is especially true with the 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ending, which poses some massive questions for the character and his fellow infected.
The movie leaves the audience with some unanswered questions heading into a third 28 Years Later chapter (the title has yet to be announced), but hopefully this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Samson. With his story not quite finished following that wild-as-hell night sequence and its aftermath, it will be interesting to see where the Alpha goes from here.
If you haven’t already, you can revisit 28 Years Later with a Netflix subscription. Now that you know how Samson’s actor feels about things, it might be a good time to revisit this riveting horror flick.
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