After another busy year in the heights of the film industry, Trevor Newlin‘s wrapping up a hard-earned holiday break before heading back to work on projects in Los Angeles.
Granted, the towering East Texan behind the Xenomorph in “Alien: Romulus” and Mr. Handsome in James Gunn’s 2025 “Superman” reboot has to stay mum on the details about what’s ahead in the New Year.
“A lot of things I can’t talk about,” the Liberty City native says with a grin and a shrug.
Newlin’s also the man behind the mask of The Monstrosity of “Smile 2,” and he donned white fur head-to-toe as the Amazon Yeti, Gene Keenon’s favorite. A board member for the Kilgore College Foundation, Keenon met up with Newlin and his father, Jeremy, at the KC pedestrian bridge Friday, handing off a long-awaited honor from the school to its movie-making alum.
Newlin was among four distinguished alumni recognized by Kilgore College in May 2025. Committed to projects in LA at the time, Newlin was unable to join in KC graduation exercises alongside the year’s other honorees: Sylvia Hoffman, Blue Ribbon Medal of Excellence for Alumni Success; Dr. Charles Whiteside, Blue Ribbon Medal of Excellence for Student Success; and Todd Hancock, Blue Ribbon Medal of Excellence for Student Success.
Keenon and Newlin posed with the actor’s Blue Ribbon Medal of Excellence for Alumni Success Jan. 2 before Newlin headed back to the west coast.
Keenon said he’s a big fan of Newlin’s work in 2024 “Alien: Romulus,” but he still chuckles over the local’s turn as the Amazon Yeti. Newlin landed the role in the national commercial after a stint as a Wookie in the second season of “The Mandalorian.” The Yeti role opened the door to the “Alien” franchise.
Keenon had no idea of the Amazon actor’s identity until well after the fact.
“Word got around that was Trevor Newlin, and I said ‘What?!'” Keenon’s admittedly a harsh critic of TV commercials, always ready to mute bad ads, but he always made time for the Yeti’s antics: “It was already one of my favorite commercials then I found out it was someone I knew, which made it even better.”
He was quick to volunteer to present Newlin with his alumni blue ribbon. According to KC, “The Blue Ribbon Medals of Excellence for Student and Alumni Success are presented by the college at graduation ceremonies to celebrate and honor the partnerships formed between the institution and successful alumni, community members and/or businesses dedicated to the furtherance of KC’s mission.”
Learn more about the alumni association at Kilgore.edu. Visit giving.kilgore.edu/alumni/alumni-spotlights/ to find an interview between Newlin and KC Communications & Public Relations Director Manny Almanza following the release of “Alien: Romulus” in ’24.
Newlin’s quick to praise his years on the KC Theatre stage and the boost the Kilgore College experience gave him.
With particular thanks to KC Theatre Instructor Micah Goodding, Newlin said, “I credit everything to Kilgore College.”
Learn more about Newlin’s past and upcoming projects via his page on the Internet Movie Database.
