20 Fascinating Insights About E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

In 1975, a budding director named Steven Spielberg redefined cinema by creating the concept of the "summer blockbuster" with the terrifying thriller Jaws. By 1977, he further cemented his reputation with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and later solidified his dominance in the 1980s with hits like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and the beloved classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which premiered on June 11, 1982. 

1. E.T. originated as a blend of concepts from several distinct movie ideas.

Following the consecutive successes of Jaws in 1975 and Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, director Steven Spielberg sought to create a more intimate and personal narrative for his next project. Titled Growing Up, the film drew inspiration from Spielberg's own experiences, including his parents' divorce when he was 15, the isolation he felt as a Jewish teenager in a predominantly Gentile Arizona neighborhood, and was narrated through the eyes of three children.

When the project was put on hold, Spielberg shifted his focus to another high-budget film, 1941, but the core concept lingered in his mind. Simultaneously, Columbia Pictures pushed for a sequel to Close Encounters. Spielberg, however, had no interest in revisiting the story, though he did ponder what might happen if an alien remained on Earth instead of returning to the mothership. To prevent the studio from proceeding without him, he enlisted writer/director John Sayles to develop a script for a quasi-sequel titled Night Skies, which revolved around a suburban family tormented by a group of aliens, with one forming a bond with their son.

The tone of Night Skies proved too grim for Spielberg, leading him to persuade Columbia to re-release a special edition of Close Encounters with extra scenes. Despite this, he saw potential in the premise and, alongside screenwriter Melissa Mathison, merged his semi-autobiographical tale with the idea of a friendly alien visiting a young boy, resulting in E.T. The concept of the terrorized family was later reimagined for another Spielberg production: Poltergeist.

2. Melissa Mathison’s initial draft of E.T. served as the final shooting script.

Unlike most films, which undergo numerous revisions, Melissa Mathison’s first draft of E.T. was used directly for filming. Spielberg provided her with the overarching storyline, and she spent five days writing followed by five days of collaborative feedback with him. This cycle continued for eight weeks, culminating in what Spielberg described as “the best first draft I’ve ever read.” To foster spontaneity on set, Spielberg avoided storyboarding and instead carried Mathison’s script on 3 x 5-inch notecards, allowing him to adapt and improvise with the young cast. The production was discreetly titled “A Boy’s Life” to maintain secrecy.

3. Drew Barrymore’s vivid imagination captivated Steven Spielberg, earning her the role of Gertie in E.T.

Finding the perfect young actors to portray the three main siblings was a top priority for Spielberg. The first child he selected was Drew Barrymore for the role of Gertie, the youngest of the trio. During her audition, the 6-year-old Barrymore reportedly told Spielberg that she wasn’t actually an actress but the drummer for a fierce punk rock band named the Purple People Eaters, known for their face-painted performances and a recent gig in front of thousands. Spielberg was captivated by her creativity and immediately cast her.

4. Henry Thomas’s improvised audition for E.T. secured him the role of Elliott.

Casting Elliott, the boy who finds and bonds with E.T., proved to be Spielberg’s biggest challenge. Jack Fisk, Spielberg’s friend and production designer for films like Badlands and Eraserhead, recommended Henry Thomas, a young actor he had directed in the 1981 film Raggedy Man. During the audition at Universal Studios, Spielberg skipped the script and asked Thomas to improvise a scene where he confronts a government agent (played by casting director Mike Fenton) attempting to take his alien friend away.

Spielberg instructed Thomas to do whatever it took to prevent the agent from taking E.T. In the emotional audition (viewable above), Thomas tearfully pleaded with Fenton, convincing Spielberg to end the session with, “OK kid, you got the job.”

5. Peter Coyote’s unsuccessful audition for Raiders of the Lost Ark landed him a role in E.T.

Peter Coyote, who portrays the kind-hearted government agent Keys in E.T., initially auditioned for Indiana Jones in May 1980 during a session with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Coyote arrived with a stylish fedora and excerpts from the Raiders of the Lost Ark script, hoping to impress. However, he tripped over lighting cables upon entering, ruining his chance to embody the suave, adventurous Indy. Harrison Ford ultimately won the role, but Spielberg was charmed by Coyote’s awkwardness, later casting him as Keys—a character embodying childlike curiosity. The takeaway? Sometimes, clumsiness works in your favor!

6. The appearance of E.T. was influenced by a painting and images of notable figures.

Spielberg initially enlisted production illustrator Ed Verreaux, his collaborator on Raiders of the Lost Ark, to sketch early designs for the alien. However, he ultimately chose concepts by special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi, known for his work on the xenomorph in Ridley Scott’s Alien and the visitors in Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

For E.T., Spielberg asked Rambaldi to create an alien that would evoke empathy. Rambaldi drew inspiration from Spielberg’s painting “Women of Delta,” which featured a frail figure with a long neck, large eyes, and short legs. To enhance the alien’s relatability, Rambaldi studied photographs of elderly individuals from the Great Depression and incorporated facial features reminiscent of Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, and Carl Sandburg. After Rambaldi finalized the clay model, Spielberg approved it immediately. Ralph McQuarrie, known for his iconic Star Wars concept art, designed E.T.’s spaceship to resemble a whimsical hot air balloon, as if imagined by Dr. Seuss.

7. The E.T. puppet was a marvel of design but created significant challenges on set.

For scenes featuring the animatronic E.T. puppet, such as Elliott’s bedroom and the family’s living room, Spielberg had the sets elevated on stilts. The bulky robotic puppet was secured in place, with its wiring concealed beneath the floor. Puppeteers controlled and monitored its movements via TV screens from a separate room.

To ensure authenticity, Spielberg insisted that everyone on set treat E.T. as a real actor. The special effects team rigorously tested the puppet’s movements before filming to maintain the illusion. Spielberg even convinced Drew Barrymore that the puppet was a genuine alien. During the emotional scene where E.T. appears to die, Barrymore’s tears were genuine, as she truly believed the alien had passed away.

8. A mime was enlisted to animate E.T.’s hand gestures.

To add grace and realism to E.T.’s movements, Spielberg brought in mime artist Caprice Rothe. For scenes requiring interaction or object manipulation, Rothe lay beneath the puppet, extending her hands upward repeatedly. She wore gloves designed to mimic E.T.’s textured skin, with her ring and pinky fingers hidden to replicate the alien’s four-fingered hands. She was credited as the “E.T. Movement Coordinator” in the final film.

9. Three performers collaborated to animate E.T.’s broader movements.

For full-body shots of E.T. moving freely, three actors were used. Tamara de Treaux and Pat Bilon, both little people, wore E.T. suits for wide-angle scenes, with hidden slits in the chest area allowing them to see. Scenes like E.T. stumbling after drinking beer were performed by 12-year-old Matthew DeMeritt, who, born without legs, walked on his hands using a specially designed suit.

10. Spielberg initially provided E.T.’s voice.

During filming, Spielberg voiced E.T. by standing near the camera, delivering iconic lines like “E.T. phone home” and even full sentences to help the child actors connect with the character. His temporary voice was later replaced by actress Debra Winger in the rough cut. (Winger also made an uncredited cameo as a zombie nurse in the Halloween scene.) For the final version, sound designer Ben Burtt, known for his work on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, hired Pat Welsh, a non-actor with a distinctive raspy voice, which he modified and blended with animal sounds. Welsh was paid just $380 for her contribution. In total, 18 individuals contributed to E.T.’s voice, including Ken Miura, Burtt’s USC professor, who provided the iconic burp during the drunk scene.

11. Harrison Ford filmed a scene for the movie, but it didn’t make the final cut.

Ford, already a celebrated collaborator with Spielberg, was cast as the principal of Elliott’s school. To maintain the mystery of adult faces until the third act, Ford was only filmed from behind. In the scene, he scolds Elliott after the boy releases frogs meant for dissection (and shares a spontaneous kiss with a classmate, referencing John Ford’s 1952 film The Quiet Man). As Elliott’s connection with E.T. deepens, he levitates just out of the principal’s sight until his mother arrives to take him home. These moments were later removed for pacing.

12. M&Ms were originally intended to be E.T.’s favorite candy.

Spielberg approached Mars Incorporated, the makers of M&Ms, to feature their candies in a scene where Elliott lures E.T. back to his house. However, Universal Studios restricted Mars from viewing the script, leading them to decline. Spielberg then approached the Hershey Company, initially considering Hershey Kisses. Instead, Hershey proposed their new product, Reese’s Pieces, and agreed to pay $1 million for promotional rights. The deal proved highly successful, with Hershey reporting a 65 percent increase in Reese’s Pieces sales just two weeks after the film’s release.

13. Spielberg embraced his playful side on set by dressing as an old woman.

During the Halloween scene (filmed in October 1981), Elliott and Michael disguise E.T. as their little sister to sneak him into the forest to call home. Spielberg joined the fun by spending the day dressed as an elderly woman, even participating in apple bobbing and trick-or-treating with the cast after filming wrapped.

14. A delayed flight into LAX inspired a key scene in the film.

Originally, the script called for Elliott and E.T. to be taken to a hospital after their capture. However, production designer James Bissell and cinematographer Allen Daviau struggled to find a suitable location. Spielberg’s delayed arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, due to ongoing construction featuring scaffolding, plastic sheets, and tubing, sparked an idea. Instead of a hospital, the government would construct a makeshift facility around the family’s house, using materials resembling the airport’s construction. The exterior shots were filmed at a house in Northridge, Los Angeles, while interiors were created on soundstages.

15. The iconic shot of Elliott and E.T. flying in front of the Moon was entirely real—except for the characters themselves.

Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren and his team at Industrial Light and Magic were responsible for creating natural-looking effects to complement the potentially artificial appearance of the E.T. puppet. The famous shot of Elliott and E.T. flying in front of the Moon was largely authentic. Muren’s team spent weeks locating the perfect location to capture a low-hanging moon among trees, using maps and charts to plan the scene. While Elliott and E.T. were puppets added in post-production, the rest of the shot was entirely real.

16. Spielberg paid homage to George Lucas, and Lucas later returned the gesture.

The two filmmakers had previously included subtle nods to each other’s work, but in E.T., Spielberg made the reference overt. In a humorous moment, E.T. spots a child dressed as Yoda for Halloween and excitedly says, “Home! Home!” Spielberg revealed the joke to Lucas during a private screening at Skywalker Ranch, which Lucas found hilarious. Later, in The Phantom Menace, Lucas reciprocated by including E.T.’s species as members of the Galactic Senate, depicted in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner.

17. François Truffaut praised the film and Spielberg.

Spielberg was concerned that his deeply personal story might not connect with audiences, especially given the alien’s unconventional appearance. After several public previews, E.T. was shown out-of-competition at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, where the audience gave a 15-minute standing ovation before the film even ended, followed by another 15 minutes after the credits. This overwhelming response reassured Spielberg of the film’s success. He later received a telegram from François Truffaut, who had acted in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, stating, “You belong here more than me,” echoing a line from his character in that film.

18. The film captivated both audiences and world leaders.

After its Cannes debut, E.T. premiered in the U.S. on June 11, 1982, eventually surpassing Star Wars as the highest-grossing film of all time—a title it held until 1993, when Spielberg’s Jurassic Park claimed the spot. Spielberg hosted private screenings for friends and colleagues, including one at the White House for President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. Spielberg later recalled sitting beside the President, who appeared moved to tears. When the film was shown to Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the royal couple’s reaction was so emotional that Diana’s makeup ran, prompting her handlers to quickly take her backstage for touch-ups before a requested informal meeting.

19. The film faced accusations of plagiarism.

After the film’s global triumph, accusations of plagiarism surfaced when Indian director Satyajit Ray claimed Spielberg borrowed the concept from his 1967 script, The Alien. Originally optioned by Columbia Pictures with Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando attached, the project was shelved due to legal issues. Ray believed the similarities between his script and E.T. were too significant to be coincidental, stating, "E.T. would not have been possible without my script of The Alien circulating in America." Spielberg countered that he was in high school when Ray’s script was being shared, and no legal action was pursued. Ray continued his filmmaking career until his passing in 1992.

20. Spielberg and co-writer Melissa Mathison considered a sequel but ultimately abandoned the idea.

During the initial release of E.T., Spielberg and Mathison drafted a story treatment for a sequel titled “E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears,” set the following summer. The plot involved Elliott and his friends being kidnapped by a sinister alien race led by Korel, searching for another stranded alien named Zrek. E.T. eventually rescues the children and returns them to Earth. However, Spielberg decided against pursuing the sequel, believing it would "rob the original of its purity." A novelized sequel, E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, written by William Kotzwinkle, was published in 1985, exploring E.T.’s home planet, Brodo Asogi.

Additional Sources: E.T. Blu-ray special features; The Films of Steven Spielberg by Douglas Brode; Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective by Richard Schickel