The new season of Stranger Things is out on Netflix, but this month don’t forget to also celebrate one of the movies that gave the show its biggest inspiration: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which turns 40 on June 11. The iconic sci-fi film, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Henry Thomas (alongside a 7-year-old Drew Barrymore), was an enormous box-office and critical success when it hit theaters in 1982, and four decades later, it’s still widely considered one of the most beloved films of all time.
For countless people, viewing E.T. was a staple of childhood, the kind of movie you watched wide-eyed and quoted to friends for weeks afterwards. But if you haven’t given the film another look since you were a kid, it’s time to dim the lights, grab a box of Reese’s Pieces, and get streaming because there’s still so much to love about E.T. all these years later — including all the behind-the-scenes trivia you might not have known.
In honor of the movie’s 40th anniversary, we’ve rounded up 13 fun facts about its making, from the story behind E.T.’s raspy voice to the sneaky trick that won Barrymore the role.
Einstein Wasn’t the Only Inspiration for E.T.’s Look
While you may already know that E.T. bears some resemblance to the great physicist Albert Einstein, he wasn’t the only well-known person who gave the creature some physical inspiration. Carl Sandburg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author, and The Old Man and the Sea writer Ernest Hemingway were also used as references for creating the wrinkly alien.
The Movie Takes Place in California
Likely to make the film have an all-American feel, it’s never revealed in which city or state Elliott’s family lives. But if you look at cars’ license plates and the map Elliott shows E.T., it appears that E.T. is set in northeastern California.
E.T. Got His Voice From a Two-Pack-a-Day Cigarette Habit
Although several people and animals were used to create E.T’s distinctively raspy voice, the bulk of it came from actress Pat Welsh, who was a heavy chain smoker at the time, according to People. Not exactly kid-friendly!
Drew Barrymore Lied to Steven Spielberg That She Was in a Punk Rock Band
It’s hard to imagine E.T. without the adorable, baby-faced Drew Barrymore as Gertie, Elliott’s little sister, but the young actress had to audition alongside plenty of others (including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Juliette Lewis!). Barrymore scored the role by telling Spielberg a made-up story that she was the drummer for a popular punk rock band, having even supposedly played an arena the previous night. The director was impressed with her wild imagination and considered it a perfect fit for the troublemaking character.
She Also Influenced Steven Spielberg to Make E.T. Functional at All Times
According to Drew Barrymore’s co-star Dee Wallace, Drew made quite an impact on the set. The child actress routinely went up to talk to E.T. in between takes, so much so that Steven Spielberg had puppeteers available around the clock to respond to Barrymore. “They would put E.T. in a corner when he wasn’t working, and we found Drew, and she’s over there just talking to him,” Wallace told Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show. “And from that time on, Steven had two guys on E.T. at all times so that any time you went over to talk to him, his eyes could work, and his head could go up and down, and he could respond to you.”
Harrison Ford Almost Had a Cameo
A previous Spielberg collaborator from Raiders of the Lost Ark and the then-boyfriend of E.T. screenwriter Melissa Mathison, Harrison Ford filmed a scene for the 1982 movie as the principal of Elliott’s school. As fun as it would’ve been to see Ford discipline our hero for setting all the frogs free in biology class, his role was cut — but while you never see his face, you can still hear his voice.
There’s a Reason You Barely Ever See Adults’ Faces
To emphasize that the movie is meant to be from a kid’s point of view (and pay tribute to Warner Bros. cartoonist Tex Avery), Spielberg purposely avoided showing adults’ faces as much as possible, instead filming them largely from the waist down. Even more, most of the movie is shot at a child’s eye level too.
Reese’s Pieces Almost Didn’t Make the Cut
One of E.T.’s most famous scenes is when the kids use Reese’s Pieces to lure E.T. to them, and as a result of the film’s popularity, the brand saw a huge surge in sales for months to come, according to People. But the candy wasn’t originally in the script; the filmmakers planned on instead using M&Ms, but its parent company, Mars, was worried E.T.’s appearance would scare children and opted out of the production. Enter: Reese’s Pieces.
Yes, That Star Wars Crossover Was on Purpose
During the Halloween scene, E.T. sees a kid dressed as Yoda and appears to recognize him, while a bit of “Yoda’s Theme” from Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back plays. This was done as an inside joke between Spielberg and his friend and fellow director George Lucas, and to return the favor, Lucas included members of E.T.’s alien species as background characters in a scene of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. Some fans even think the two movies take place in the same universe!
Real Doctors Were Used in the Medical Scene
Wanting the medical jargon to sound as real as possible, Spielberg hired actual emergency-room technicians from USC Medical Center, rather than actors, to play the doctors and nurses working to save the sick E.T. The director even told them to treat the character just as they would a real, human patient.
E.T. Is a Lot Older Than You Think
E.T. may act a lot like a kid, with his love of candy and emotional immaturity, but according to the novelization of the movie, written by William Kotzwinkle, the alien is more than 10 million years old. Clearly, he’s been around the block!
The Bike Scene Was Filmed With BMX Stunt Riders
The scene of Elliott and his pals escaping the government officials with E.T. in the basket of his bike is one of the movie’s most memorable moments. Since Henry Thomas and the others were too young to do that kind of stunt, the filmmakers instead hired a few talented BMX stunt riders to perform the ride. Unfortunately, none of these guys ever got their names credited in the movie, despite two weeks of hard work.
There Was Almost an E.T. Sequel
Considering the movie’s massive success, you might be surprised that there’s never been a sequel. Well, there kind of was one! Spielberg and screenwriter Mathison wrote a treatment for a follow-up film called Nocturnal Fears, which would’ve followed Elliott and his friends getting kidnapped by aliens and requiring E.T.’s help. But the director ultimately decided against making the movie, arguing it would take away from the original’s power. As nice as it would’ve been to get more E.T. in our lives, we can all appreciate not wanting to potentially ruin something so special.
Rachel Simon is a writer with work in The New York Times, Glamour, NBC News, Marie Claire, and many other outlets. Follow her on Twitter @rachel_simon.
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