How The Performer Behind PROJECT HAIL MARY Landed The Job and Brought Rocky to Life
Rocky didn’t just land in Project Hail Mary as another sci-fi creature, he showed up and completely stole the spotlight. In a film packed with big ideas and cosmic stakes, it’s this strange, lovable alien that audiences can’t stop talking about.
What makes it even cooler is how unexpectedly the character came together, thanks to puppeteer and performer James Ortiz, whose creative instincts helped turn Rocky into something unforgettable right from the start.
Ortiz wasn’t only the puppeteer, he also voiceed Rocky, and his work is now getting well-deserved attention thanks to a recent profile from the Los Angeles Times.
Ortiz wasn’t some newcomer stepping onto a massive production. He was already a respected name in puppetry, and when the opportunity came up to help shape Rocky, he approached it in a way that instantly stood out.
Instead of using the larger, production-built puppet during his audition, Ortiz showed up with something much more personal and inventive. He brought a smaller version he created himself, something a little quirky that immediately clicked in the room.
“For a chemistry read with Gosling, with the film’s producers also present, Ortiz opted for using a version of Rocky he had made himself, which looked like Thing from The Addams Family; built off a fancy glove, instead of the larger puppet the production had available,” the article says.
“That his hand version of Rocky could climb onto Gosling, and interact with the actor more directly, allowed for an amusing rapport to develop instantly between them.”
That choice turned out to be a game-changer. By physically interacting with Gosling in a more dynamic way, Ortiz gave the filmmakers a glimpse of how expressive and alive Rocky could feel. It wasn’t just about design, it was about personality, movement, and connection.
Once Ortiz landed the role, the full-scale version of Rocky was crafted by legendary creature designer Neal Scanlan, known for bringing unforgettable characters to life. But Ortiz didn’t just step back and perform. He became a key collaborator in how Rocky functioned on set.
“I had, ultimately, a lot of input, never on how Rocky looked, but a lot on how he was operated and what materials he was made out of,” Ortiz said.
“I was able to pick what types of fiberglass we were using to cast him out of, because I knew, given the amount of improvisation that we would be doing on set, [that] I needed a puppet that could do anything.”
Rocky feels spontaneous, reactive, and very human despite being anything but. The performance blends physical puppetry with voice work in a way that gives the character a unique presence you don’t see often in modern sci-fi.
That’s what makes this story so great. One creative decision, bringing a glove puppet instead of a studio prop, helped shape one of the most talked-about characters in recent sci-fi. Ortiz didn’t just perform Rocky, he helped define how the character moves, reacts, and connects with audiences.
Now, with Project Hail Mary continuing to pull in audiences and Rocky quickly becoming a pop culture staple, it’s clear that those early creative instincts paid off in a big way.