“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” came back into our lives over Thanksgiving courtesy of a new holiday ad from Comcast’s cable and internet provider Xfinity.
In the spot, E.T. travels to Earth to reunite with a grown-up Elliott and his new family. Henry Thomas, the actor who originally played Elliott in the 1982 film, is now a married 40-something father of two.
It’s been more than 35 years since E.T. first came to Earth and change Elliot’s and his family’s life. Since E.T.’s back to check in on his old friend, but what have the actors been up to since E.T. phoned home?
Henry Thomas (Elliot)
Thomas has had a steady career since his breakout role as Elliot in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 hit. He worked with Martin Scorsese in “Gangs of New York,” and most recently played the young version of Hugh Crain on Netflix’s “Haunting of Hill House.”
Drew Barrymore (Gertie)
Barrymore of course rode her role as Elliot’s adorable little sister to super stardom and a storied career with iconic performances in films such as “Scream,” “Never Been Kissed” and “Whip It,” which she also directed. Barrymore has spent a lot of time recently producing, including an executive producer credit on the new “Charlie’s Angels.” Her Netflix show “The Santa Clarita Diet” wrapped up its final season in March 2019.
Robert MacNaughton (Michael)
MacNaughton continued to act throughout the 80s following “E.T.,” appearing in “I Am the Cheese” and the TV series “Vietnam War Story.” It was 27 years until he returned to the screen, with roles in “Frankenstein vs. the Mummy” and “Laugh Killer Laugh” in 2015.
Dee Wallace (Mary)
After playing the maternal figure in “E.T.,” Wallace went on to star in “Cujo” and a host of other films. She’s worked with Rob Zombie on a number of occasions. Wallace has also had guest appearances on TV shows such as “NCIS” and “You’re the Worst.” Wallace is still acting, recently appearing in Rob Zombie’s 2019 film “3 From Hell.”
Peter Coyote (Keys)
Coyote has since acted in such films as “Patch Adams,” “Erin Brockovich,” and “A Walk to Remember.” He’s had guest appearances on “Law and Order,” “NCIS,” and “Blue Bloods.” In 2020 he’s set to appear as Robert Mueller in the TV mini series “A Higher Loyalty” on CBS.
C. Thomas Howell (Tyler)
“E.T.” was Howell’s first credited role, but he turned that into a part in “The Outsiders” the next year and has since built a solid acting career across film and TV. Howell has had recurring roles on “Animal Kingdom,” “Bosch” and “Seal Team.”
K.C. Martel and Sean Frye (Greg and Steve)
Martel and Frye, who played friends of Elliot’s older brother Michael, didn’t do too much acting after “E.T.” Martel was in “White Water Summer” with Sean Astin and Kevin Bacon, and he had a recurring role on “Growing Pains,” but hasn’t appeared on screen since. Frye’s last role was the 1988 film “For Keeps?” He also had an uncredited role in “This is Spinal Tap.”
