Steven Spielberg Helped Drew Barrymore Believe ET Was Real During Filming ET the alien. It’s been 40 years since Spielberg’s iconic sci-fi family adventure hit theaters and warmed audiences’ hearts, leading to its impressive $794 million box office receipts. The film tells the story of an abandoned alien who befriends a group of children on Earth. The film follows the children’s attempts to return him to his home planet before government agents can catch him.
Among ETs cast of child actors, Drew Barrymore played Gertie, the younger sister of Elliot (Henry Thomas) and Michael (Robert McNaughton). In the years since, Barrymore has become a household name among the public. Most recently she is the host of The Drew Barrymore Show, value Charlie’s Angels star has hosted reunions with former co-stars.
Now, in a special episode airing October 31, Barrymore has been reunited with her former ET family. Hosting Thomas, McNaughton and Dee Wallace, who played Gertie’s mother Mary in the film, she discusses their experiences making the now iconic film. During the special, Barrymore revealed that her reactions to the groundbreaking animatronic alien may not quite act up. In a clip posted by the official Twitter account for The Drew Barrymore Show, Barrymore said “I believed that ET was real… I really loved him very much.Her fellow cast members confirmed this, and Thomas added:
“The first thing I remember is we were on stage, and it was pretty cold on stage, and you asked the wardrobe lady if you could have a scarf for ET’s neck because he would get cold, so you wrapped the scarf around his neck.”
Drew Barrymore’s ET Role Remains Iconic
Although she made her film debut with the William Hurt led Modified States, ET the alien largely remains one of the most iconic roles in Barrymore’s filmography. Although she is better known by some for her work in the Charlie’s Angels movies and appearances with Adam Sandler in the likes of The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Blended, her supporting role in Spielberg’s beloved sci-fi family adventure remains one of her most iconic roles in her filmography, exploring both the terrifying nature of a young girl who encounters an alien, and a nosy for a creature from another. skillfully captured planet. Interestingly, Barrymore’s account of believing ET was real isn’t the only one saying this, as Wallace previously shared that multiple as well. ET the alien stars discovered that the young star interacted with the doll between scenes.
Children are often at the heart of Spielberg films, with the filmmaker taking on the challenge of directing children, such as Key Huy Quan’s Indiana Jones audition story reveals, Spielberg knows how to balance the difficult tasks of directing while catering to the needs of his young performers. Knowing that Gertie’s affection for ET in the film came from a very heartfelt place because of Barrymore’s faith and Spielberg’s encouragement adds an endearing dimension to her performance. As advanced as the effects on ET the alien It was the performances of the actors that sold the character to moviegoers and, 40 years later, ET is still as real to the audience as it was to a young Drew Barrymore.
Source: The Drew Barrymore Show
