20 Things You Didn't Know About The Thing

Though Carpenter doesn't waste much time at all on the backstories of his characters, he did confirm that he and Kurt Russell laid out their own internal origin story for MacReady.

They conceived of the hero as a former Vietnam War helicopter pilot suffering from PTSD, who in addition to being an alcoholic also wrestles with insomnia.

There are a few hints to this peppered throughout the film, such as why MacReady is both awake and drinking in the early hours of the morning when the Norwegian dog arrives, and also when he tells Childs he's a "real light sleeper."