What to Know Actress Sigourney Weaver surprised North Bergen High School students during their encore performance of "Alien: The Play"

The students' original production garnered national attention and praise from the film's director Ridley Scott

Weaver said she was "representing all the 'Alien' fans all over the universe who think what you're doing is so cool, and so important"

A group of New Jersey high schoolers putting on a stage production of "Alien" were shocked to learn there was a surprise audience member in attendance: Sigourney Weaver herself.

After North Bergen High School's adaptation of the 1979 film garnered national attention, director Ridley Scott's production company provided $5,000 so students could put on an encore performance.

Weaver, who previously praised the production in a YouTube video, showed up at the encore show Friday night.

Videos posted to Twitter show the actress surprising a group of students.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” one student can be heard shouting as her peers clap and cheer.

“I’m so excited to be here,” Weaver says in the video. "I am representing all the ‘Alien’ fans all over the universe who think what you’re doing is so cool, and so important."

Weaver also spoke to cast and audience members after the performance.

Images of the production's elaborate sets and special effects drew a huge response online, and Scott wrote a letter to the school praising the students' creativity.

Weaver played the character Ellen Ripley in the movie that spawned a franchise.