For 40 years, the adventure of little Elliott, who finds the extraterrestrial ET in his garden shed, has delighted young and old children all over the world. What memories does lead actor Henry Thomas have of the filming? In an anniversary interview, he recalls.
Four Oscars, two Golden Globes, a BAFTA and a Grammy: “ET The Extraterrestrial” is certainly one of the most successful films of all time. Steven Spielberg’s film celebrated its US premiere on June 11, 1982. Six months later, on December 9, 1982, the blockbuster was released in West German cinemas. It all goes back 40 years, but the story of little Elliott, who finds an abandoned alien in his garden, hides it from intrusive researchers and finally helps him call home, still inspires young and old filmmakers today. Elliott was played by Henry Thomas, who was ten years old at the time and now has three children himself. What do you think of your father’s first big film? The 51-year-old, who was last seen in the horror miniseries ‘Midnight Mass’ and mystery series ‘Haunted Bly Manor’ (both on Netflix), answers this question in an interview. To celebrate the anniversary of “ET The Extra-Terrestrial” a new Blu-ray will be released with new bonus material – it will be in shops from November 17th.
teleschau: Do you believe in aliens?
Henry Thomas: (thinks) Yes, I really do. I think there is probably life in the universe.
teleschau: Do extraterrestrials look like ETs in your imagination?
Thomas: I don’t know. I’d settle for a single-celled organism. (laughs)
teleschau: How did you get the role of Elliott then?
Thomas: I auditioned for the role. You can watch my audition on YouTube. It always goes viral there. I was just in the right place at the right time. A year earlier I had made a film for Universal. Steven Spielberg needed a boy to play the believer. So it was the right people talking about me at the right time, I got invited to audition – and the rest is history.
“Being in a Steven Spielberg movie was a big deal”
teleschau: So did you know who Steven Spielberg was?
Thomas: I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark and was pretty fixated on Indiana Jones and also Star Wars. That’s how I knew it was part of those worlds. He wasn’t as famous as he is now, of course, but he was still someone who was talked about in Hollywood at the time. Being in a Steven Spielberg movie was a big deal. I was quite nervous and excited, I had dreamed of being an actor since I was six years old. But I was living in central Texas and it seemed pretty unlikely that this dream would come true, but it did! And I felt like I had won the lottery.
teleschau: What situation during filming do you remember best?
Thomas: My memories are very boring. I remember the dressing room and what it was like to go to work or change my costume (laughs). Of course there are some funny stories, but my personal recollections aren’t very anecdotal. It was great to have Halloween on set. It was fun for all the kids. The whole photo shoot was fun for us kids. I liked it because I’ve never had so many kids around me on set before. We were all together in the school and it felt like a real family.
“I was molested before filming”
teleschau: “ET” was one of the first blockbusters in cinema history. Were you aware of the full range as a child?
Thomas: I knew I was part of something special, but I had no idea the film would be so successful. I never imagined that 40 years later I would still be talking about it (laughs). It was a sensation at the time. After the movie was in theaters for about two weeks, I knew it was going to be a big hit because it was on the news. They said lines stretched around the block to get to this theater and that. They showed New York and Los Angeles. Then “ET” was released internationally and became a worldwide sensation, something I never considered.
teleschau: How did your classmates react to the success?
Thomas: I was bullied even before we started filming and then they immediately kicked me out because I was an abnormal person, which meant I was weird and no good. So it was, “Don’t talk to that guy!”
teleschau: Does that mean your life hasn’t improved thanks to the role?
Thomas: Not at school, but professionally it was great! Have been booked many times over the years that followed.
teleschau: Are you still recognized on the street today?
Thomas: Oh yeah. People recognize me almost every day. As a child, this bothered me because I felt abnormal. It was weird. But now I deal with it my whole life so it doesn’t bother me anymore.
“I’d also like to do a comedy once”
teleschau: Were you prepared for this fame as a child?
Thomas: No! I don’t think she was part of our reality. When you make a movie, you always say, “This is going to be the best movie ever.” It never happens that the producer says: “Ah, that looks awful!” And when it comes out a year later, you’ve actually already forgotten about it. It was the same with “ET”.
teleschau: Lately you made some horror films. Was this an attempt to break away from Elliott?
Thomas: (laughs) No! The only reason I make horror films is because the director, Mike Flanagan, is a fan of my work. He hires me for many of his projects. But I personally don’t have a special affinity for horror.
teleschau: What kind of film would you like to be in?
Thomas: Oh, I like historical dramas, fantasy. I’m primarily a dramatic actor, but I’d also like to do comedy.
“My kids aren’t big fans of ‘ET'”
teleschau: Do your three children know “ET”? And what do you think?
Thomas: They know “ET” but they are not big fans of “ET”. I tried showing them the film, but their reactions weren’t as great as I’d hoped. I was a little disappointed as I thought they would find it exciting to see their father as a child. But they said, “Dad, we know it’s you. We’ve seen the trailer.” It wasn’t exciting for her.
teleschau: Would the film still work today?
Thomas: This is the impressive thing: I think so. The public still seems to love him very much. Of course it’s also a question of generations: who has seen the film then shows it to their children and so on. But the film is special because it is about universal human things like compassion and caring. We all carry these themes within us and I think the film touches the heart.
“Drew Barrymore is very, very funny”
teleschau: The film already celebrated its anniversary in the USA in June. Did you celebrate this day in a special way?
Thomas: (laughs) No, I don’t even remember when the movie came out.
teleschau: When did you last see the film?
Thomas: 20 years ago (laughs). I don’t watch any of the movies I’ve made myself. I don’t like seeing myself on screen. I saw it then because it was the 20th anniversary and John Williams was conducting the live orchestra.
teleschau: Has your attitude towards cinema changed in the last decades? Do you have any other favorite scenes today?
Thomas: Interestingly, as an adult, I enjoy watching Drew Berrymore because I find her so hilarious in the movie. She is very, very funny. It’s something I didn’t find out until I was an adult, because as a child it was just Drew.
teleschau: Are you still in touch with Drew Barrymore?
Thomas: No, of course we always see each other in connection with “ET”, but we only worked together for ten weeks in 1981. And now we’ve been talking about those ten weeks for 40 years. (laughs) When you make films, you go from one job to another. By the time the film hits theaters, you may have three or four more filmed. That’s why the success of “ET” is so special. I still think it’s amazing to this day!
