E.T. movie star Henry Thomas is unrecognisable 41 years since he was Elliot in alien hit

Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is undoubtedly a movie classic.

It made stars not only of the convincing alien creature who fell to earth and was found in a family's backyard, but also of a young Drew Barrymore, as Gertie, and 10 year old Henry Thomas as her brother, Elliott.

The movie followed fearless Henry's efforts to look after the awkward and naughty ET as he navigates life on earth, but who gets increasingly sick away from his home in space, and desperately tries to "phone home" for help.

ET was Henry's second-ever acting role, but he wasn't originally cast for the part. Another young actor began filming as Elliot, but had to be let go when he started playing up on the movie set.

Henry later told Esquire magazine how he bagged the role, remembering: "I read a scene from some early version of the script, and then I was asked to do an improvisation.

"I think the gist of the improv was, 'You found someone, and they’re going to take them away from you, and it’s your friend, and you really don’t want your friend to go away.' So I started crying, and really going for it I guess."

It's ironic when you realise he only started acting to get out of having to take piano lessons.

Director Steven Spielberg had previously revealed to Premiere magazine that young Henry had immediately sealed his fate, saying: "The improvisation was so heartfelt and honest that I gave him the part right there. I was blown away by this nine-year-old."

While ET catapulted Henry to instant fame, he found it overwhelming, much like other child stars including Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin, describing a "rollercoaster" few years.

"It was the second film I had ever done," he told Esquire. "I got the part through a weird alignment of coincidences, and luck. Suddenly my phone was ringing and everybody wanted me in their film. It was kind of a roller-coaster ride for a few years there."

The young actor returned to school in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, but also went on to appear in movies including Cloak & Dagger, Legends of the Fall – alongside Brad Pitt – and Gangs of New York with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Now 52 years old, and unrecognisable as the child actor he once was, Henry nearly quit the business in the late 2000s when a writer's strike caused him financial hardship: "I’ve stumbled along in terms of fortune," he told The Guardian earlier this year, "So I was really thinking of getting out of LA to start a farm and raise my kids there. I had to do something.”

But things turned around and Henry found more movie roles coming his way, including Ouija: Origin of Evil and a sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep.

Having avoided fan conventions for years – for fear of 'fleecing' people – the dad of three now embraces them and has accepted that he'll always be seen as Elliot.

"You get humbled enough, or you have enough success, or a mixture thereof, and you start to see it as what it is," he said to The Guardian, "which is just sheer terror, abstract opinion and luck, with a smidgen of talent thrown in just for kicks."

Rent E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Amazon Prime Video, from £4.49 for HD here.

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