David Bowie During the Filming of “The Man Who Fell To Earth” in Los Angeles, 1975

In 1975, legendary photographer Terry O’Neill captured a series of images of David Bowie in Los Angeles during the production of Nicolas Roeg’s sci-fi masterpiece, The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Bowie is captured in a sharp, detached look, often wearing a stylish hat and sunglasses, dressed in a suit jacket. He appears elegant yet distant, perfectly suiting his role as the alien Thomas Jerome Newton. This was during a turbulent time for Bowie; he was deep into the “Thin White Duke” era, recording Station to Station while filming, and later admitted he remembered the production only in “flashes” due to heavy cocaine use.

The movie itself was mostly shot in New Mexico (deserts, White Sands, etc.), but there were scenes and downtime in Los Angeles, where these iconic off-set or between-takes photos were taken.