Drew Barrymore has revealed that when she was just seven years old, starring in the blockbuster film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, she genuinely believed the extraterrestrial co-star was real.
Now 47, Barrymore confessed that she used to talk to and take care of the puppet used to portray her extraterrestrial friend, which was featured in a sneak peek of her eponymous talk show series to be aired on Monday. During a conversation with her former co-stars Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, and Dee Wallace, she mentioned how she used to believe E.T. was a real being.
She shared, “I loved him in such a deep and meaningful way that it was unfathomable. Like, if this was real, what would happen? Because I would go to him and bring him food.”
In the 1982 film, Barrymore played the role of Gertie, a young girl initially frightened by the alien but who eventually grows to adore him over the course of the story. In the film, her on-screen brother Elliot, portrayed by Henry Thomas, now 51 years old, was Barrymore’s sibling.
In the movie, the kids secretly harbor E.T. in their suburban California home. When the government discovers their deception and tries to take the alien from them, the children are thrust into an exciting and dangerous adventure.
Henry Thomas shared a fun anecdote with Barrymore and their co-stars, recalling how the young actress once asked for a scarf for E.T. because she was worried he might get cold. They all had a good laugh over the memory.
Dee Wallace, who played the family’s matriarch at the age of 73, remembered another story about young Barrymore and her friend who worked on the set. Wallace explained how they caught them chatting with E.T. and promptly informed director Steven Spielberg of their discovery. Following that, Steven assigned two individuals to take care of E.T., ensuring he was always ready to interact whenever someone visited.
