“They’re like hyenas, and he’s the lion” - Chi Lewis-Parry gets candid about playing Samson the Alpha in 28 Years Later

Chi Lewis-Parry plays the character Samson in Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later. The movie is the third one released as part of the 28 Days Later franchise and follows the events that take place almost three decades after the rage virus outbreak. One of the variants of the people infected with the virus is termed the 'Alpha'. These individuals are a faster and stronger mutant of the regular infected. One of their signature moves is to rip off human heads with the vertebrae still attached and swing them around.

Parry plays Samson, the Alpha troop leader, in the horror-thriller film 28 Years Later. In an interview with Variety, published on June 22, 2025, he opened up about his role and interpretation of the character.

"I suppose you could don him as the “King of the Infected,” especially how I played him. There are things that didn’t make the cut, but he’s very much in charge of everything. You get to see that with the interactions that the other infected have when they’re around him. They’re like hyenas, and he’s the lion. He will have his feed and you will have what is left!" he stated.

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Chi Lewis-Parry on playing Samson in 28 Years Later

Chi Lewis-Parry is a former MMA fighter with 7 technical knockouts and a 9:2 win-to-loss ratio who quit fighting to focus on his acting career. In the interview, Parry also spoke about how playing Samson the Alpha in 28 Years Later took a physical toll on his body.

"But the biggest standout thing was the physicality. I threw myself at every wall. That scene in the train gave me more bruises than my fighting career," he stated.

When asked if he had a discussion with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland regarding Samson's backstory in 28 Years Later, Parry replied:

"We never really sort of dug into that. But I created a backstory. I’ve actually got a little notebook. In my head, what I did to help visualize his intentions and for him to be an Alpha, is have him saving others. He sacrificed himself to protect others and thus he became an infected. It made him less of a monster for me."

When asked about the Alpha's signature head-ripping move, he revealed that filming that scene in the movie caused him a minor leg injury. While the actor was running, one of the rifles snagged his leg, which caused a scar. Although unfortunate, Parry revealed that he was quite proud of the mark because it's proof that he didn't hold back while shooting scenes.

When asked about the filming of the above-mentioned scene, Parry revealed that the prosthetic used was quite realistic and heavy, which required quite a bit of physical strength to pull off.

"I had to hold it up with my left arm. It was heavy, so I wedged my elbow into my hip to support the weight. It looked like he was standing, and then I removed the head with my right arm. It’s tough to do, but it had to be heavy — if it was light, it wouldn’t look light. But being physically strong allows you to do certain things, so it’s always good to do that work," he explained.

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All about 28 Years Later

28 Years Later picks up almost 3 decades after the initial Rage Virus outbreak, with the world still trying to rebuild amidst all that the infected have left behind. The remaining survivors exist in various fortified camps to protect themselves from a new terror known as Alphas, infected individuals who are more intellectual and faster than the mindless mobs.

When a group of survivors ventures into the mainland on a mission to survive, they encounter numerous infected individuals and flesh-eating monsters. With crumbling defenses and moral mayhem, they must find a way to survive or be killed by the virus in mutated form.

Also read: 28 Years Later: Full list of cast and characters explored.

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28 Years Later is available to watch in cinemas. Stay tuned for more updates on movies and TV shows.

Edited by Bharath S