Meet the 'Project Hail Mary' Puppeteer Who Brought Rocky to Life

One of the biggest movie surprises of 2026 has been the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary. Actor, puppeteer and puppet designer James Ortiz joins the show to discuss his groundbreaking performance as the five-legged alien Rocky in the film. James shares his journey from landing the role with a homemade puppet audition to building on-set chemistry with Ryan Gosling, describing how what began as a job focused on puppeteering evolved into one of the most talked-about performances of the year. *The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or SAG-AFTRA.