Behind the Scenes with David Bowie on the Set of ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’, 1975

In 1975, iconic photographer Terry O’Neill captured David Bowie in Los Angeles during the filming of Nicolas Roeg’s sci-fi classic, ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth.’ The photographs reveal Bowie in a detached and elegant persona, often wearing hats, sunglasses, and a suit jacket, perfectly reflecting his alien character, Thomas Jerome Newton. This period coincided with a tumultuous chapter in Bowie’s life, marked by his ‘Thin White Duke’ persona and heavy cocaine use while recording the album ‘Station to Station.’ Despite the majority of filming taking place in New Mexico’s deserts and White Sands, these striking images were taken during breaks and downtime in Los Angeles. They offer a rare glimpse into Bowie’s life off-set, capturing the style, attitude, and intensity of one of music and film’s most enigmatic figures. These photographs remain a significant record of both Bowie’s artistic evolution and the visual history of 1970s cinema.