E.T. Movie Cast Then and Now
Henry Thomas
After playing Elliott, Thomas went back to school and appeared only sporadically in film and TV. He eased back into his career in the 1990s and has worked steadily since, most recently in 2021’s To All the Boys: Always and Forever on Netflix. Thomas, 50, channeled Elliott again in a 2019 holiday commercial for Xfinity by Comcast.
Drew Barrymore
Open about her addiction struggles in her post-E.T. years, Barrymore, now 47, sought treatment and went on to rule Hollywood as an actress and producer with starring roles in favorites such as Never Been Kissed (1999), Charlie’s Angels (2000) and 50 First Dates (2004). She was nominated for an Emmy for Grey Gardens (2009) and has been hosting The Drew Barrymore Show since 2020.
Robert MacNaughton
After his role as Elliott’s big brother, Michael, MacNaughton popped up on the ’80s sitcoms Amen and Newhart. He gave up acting in the ’90s and started a new life as a mail handler in Phoenix with his girlfriend and then-young son. MacNaughton, 55, later worked in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Dee Wallace
Though Wallace, 73, remains best-known for E.T. and other ’80s movies—including Critters and Cujo—she has continued to regularly act with roles on NCIS and 9-1-1. She’s written books, including the recent Born: Giving Birth to a New You and the children’s offering BuppaLaPaloo & The I Love MEs: The Most Powerful Little Bear on the Planet.
Peter Coyote
His government-agent character was known (and credited) as simply “Keys,” and you never saw his face. That’s fitting, since Coyote, 80, is known now for his distinctively homespun voice: He narrates the new KenBurns documentary Benjamin Franklin on PBS and won an Emmy for his vocal work for the director’s 2014 series The Roosevelts.
Thomas Howell
Howell, 55, made his onscreen debut as Elliott’s friend Tyler. It jump-started his acting career, and he was soon cast as Ponyboy in 1983’s The Outsiders alongside a young TomCruise and RobLowe. Howell is now a TV staple with appearances on The Walking Dead, Ray Donovan, The Blacklist and a recurring role as Ash Spenser on SEAL Team.
