Natasha Henstridge Reflects on Species 30 Years Later

That movie was Species. The woman playing Sil, the deadly extraterrestrial on the hunt for men in Los Angeles, is Natasha Henstridge, in her first on-screen role.

A bit of a cult classic now, the movie was a smash in theaters in 1995, making more than $113 million worldwide against a $35 million budget. Henstridge picked up an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss for the movie, before appearing in two, less well-received sequels.

“The 30-year Species thing does really open your eyes to how fast life goes,” Henstridge told TooFab when reflecting on the film ahead of the release of her latest movie, House of Abraham. “Like being the kid in the movie at 19 and the baby and young one … and 30 years on we’re talking about this film?”

“I’m so grateful. It changed my life. It was such a fork in the road for me and changed the trajectory of my life in so many ways, so I’m so grateful for it,” she continued. “To be a part of something that also represents women in a strong female role 30 years ago … it’s just cool. It’s amazing to be a part of that.”

Henstridge, now 50, told TooFab she still gets recognized for that film in particular, including just “two days” before we spoke with her at a Trader Joe’s.

“It still happens on the daily. It’s the thing that I’m most known for, unbelievably,” she continued, saying she first realized they had a hit on their hands when she did initial press for the film back when it came out.

“That was already like, ‘Oh, oh, oh, my god, this is really something else,'” she recalled. “And then people recognizing me overnight and now, 30 years later people remembering that damn film still. It’s just incredible the impact it had. So, I’m nothing but, grateful.”

The actress noted that while she’s “obviously” gone through some physical changes in the 30 years since Species was first released, she’s not stressed at all about her age. In fact, after turning 50 in 2024, she’s embracing it more than ever before.

“I feel at a different peace and I’ve heard that before about people turning 50, in particular,” she told TooFab. “I feel, first of all, more passionate about my career than I have in the last 15 years to be honest with you. I just lately, I don’t know, there’s like a renaissance, a resurgence in my creative process.”

“People say there’s less f–ks given when you hit a certain age and there’s some of that,” she admitted, before adding, “I’m super happy and I feel excited about the next part of my life.”