E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is a classic from the ‘80s that’s probably one of the greatest films ever made. It broke records and won four Oscars at one time. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg who is known for also directing hits such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, and The Indiana Jones series. If somehow you haven’t seen it yet, it’s about a boy who becomes friends with an alien who’s stranded on Earth and has to help him get back home.
Although you can kind of tell the spaceship isn’t real, the rest of the visual effects are amazing and it looks like E.T. is a real alien whenever you watch it. But the story is the best part of the movie. It has the message to accept and love everyone no matter what their differences are and has been inspiring audiences for generations. Here are 10 behind-the-scenes facts you might not have known about the iconic film.
10 The Movie Was Shot From A Child’s Perspective
Stephen Spielberg almost always creates his movies from a child’s perspective so the audience can feel all of the emotions that comes with being a kid and growing up. According to Screen Rant, “The director shot most of the movie’s scenes from a child’s eye-level in order for the audience to really connect with Elliott and the way that he views the world. The camera puts us in the shoes of a naive child.” E.T. wouldn’t be the same if Steven Spielberg hadn’t chosen to shoot the movie that way.
9 Henry Thomas Thought Of His Dog Who Passed Away To Land The Role Of Elliott
Henry Thomas is one of the child actors who you don’t see anymore, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a talented actor. He knew that the perfect way to become emotional in a scene is to think of something that truly makes you upset and he used that to land the role of Elliot. According to Screen Rant, “Thomas accessed real emotions in order to ace the audition. When he was brought in front of Steven Spielberg to try out for the part, Thomas thought about the day that his pet dog died to bring out a real sadness. His performance brought Spielberg to tears, and the director cast him as Elliott right then and there.”
8 An Older Smoker From California Voiced E.T.
E.T. sounds so real that you forget that he’s a puppet voiced by someone else. “E.T. has a very distinctive voice in the movie. It was provided by Pat Welsh, an older lady who lived out in Marin County, California. She smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, so her voice had a rough, hoarse quality that E.T.’s sound designer Ben Burtt liked,” according to Screen Rant. E.T.’s voice was also made up of 16 other people’s voices along with some animal voices mixed in. It was still mostly Pat Welsh’s voice though.
7 Robert Zemeckis Came Up With The Idea For E.T. To Hide In Elliott’s Toys
Robert Zemeckis, who directed Forrest Gump, The Polar Express, and Disney’s A Christmas Carol, wasn’t credited for E.T., but he helped come up with the idea for one of the most memorable and adorable scenes in the movie. According to Screen Rant, “One of the most iconic—and most relentlessly parodied—moments in E.T. is when the titular alien hides from Elliott’s mom among his toy collection. He stays perfectly still and blends seamlessly into a mountain of teddy bears and action figures, so Elliott’s mom doesn’t spot him. This gag was suggested by Who Framed Roger Rabbit director, Robert Zemeckis, while Steven Spielberg was ironing out all the details of the movie.”
6 M&M’s Were Supposed To Be E.T.’S Favorite Candy
Another iconic scene in the movie is when Elliott gives E.T. Reese’s Pieces to lure him into his house and his room. It was originally supposed to be a different type of candy though. “Initially, the producers wanted E.T.’s favorite candy to be M&M’s, but the Mars company turned them down, worrying that the E.T. character was so physically unappealing that he would put off potential customers. This would, of course, turn out to be a mistake, as the producers used Reese’s Pieces instead and E.T. put Reese’s on the map,” according to Screen Rant. E.T. is one of the reasons why Reese’s has become so popular over the years.
5 Some Of Gertie’s Most Memorable Lines Weren’t In The Script
E.T. is the movie that started Drew Barrymore’s career and even when she was a little girl she was a talented actress. She ad-libbed some lines that became iconic moments in the movie. According to Screen Rant, “When Elliott tells Gertie that only little kids can see E.T., she says, ‘Give me a break!’ This line was ad-libbed by Barrymore, along with many of the character’s most famous lines. She also improvised looking down at E.T.’s feet and saying, ‘I don’t like his feet.’ She wasn’t referencing the E.T. puppet’s feet; she was actually talking about a bunch of exposed wires gathered around the bottom of the puppet.”
4 Steven Spielberg (Accidentally) Made Drew Barrymore Cry One Day On Set
Steven Spielberg is actually Drew Barrymore’s godfather, so they already knew each other before working together on the movie. It was easier to direct her than the other kids he didn’t know that well, but one day Drew kept forgetting her lines and things got tense between them for a little while. “Spielberg, who was watching from the director’s chair, just assumed Barrymore was playing around. Eventually he lost his temper and snapped at her, leading to her getting emotional and crying. It was soon revealed that she was running a high fever and was actually pretty sick, leading to Spielberg apologizing and giving her a hug,” according to Eighties Kids. At least the two of them were able to make up afterwards before shooting the rest of the movie.
3 It Took A Lot Of Different People To Bring E.T. To Life
Just like his voice, sometimes you forget E.T. isn’t real when you’re watching him move around. The filmmakers made the creative decision to hire stuntmen who were about the same height as E.T. and go inside the puppet to move him around. According to Screen Rant, “A lot of the scenes that required full-body puppetry were performed by a stuntman who was 2’10” tall. The scenes in the kitchen, which required the alien to walk around, were performed by a 12-year-old boy who was born without legs and had grown up walking on his hands.”
2 The Final Scene Was Edited To John Williams’ Score
Most films are usually edited without the music and the composer creates their score as they’re watching the final cut, but that wasn’t the case for E.T. “Williams had nailed the composition, but he struggled to fit it around the way the scene was edited. Spielberg switched off the movie and told Williams to conduct the orchestra like they were in concert. The resultant track had a lot more heart and soul, so Spielberg recut the scene to conform with it,” according to Screen Rant. The score was so amazing that Steven Spielberg didn’t want to change it at all. That was the best choice he could make since the movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
1 Steven Spielberg Shot Everything In Chronological Order To Get Authentic Emotions From The Actors
E.T. was definitely made differently than other films, but it wouldn’t be the classic film it is today if Steven Spielberg hadn’t made the decisions that he did. According to Screen Rant, “Steven Spielberg decided to shoot a lot of E.T. in chronological order, as opposed to the order that would be most convenient for the actors’ schedules and the availability of shooting locations. He did this to allow the actors to get to know each other throughout the shoot, so that they would have authentic emotions for the farewell scene at the end of the movie. The final scene was deliberately shot last. That way, it was actually the last time that the cast would all be together, so they were actually sad.”