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Dee Wallace, who played the role of Elliot’s (Henry Thomas) mother in E.T., shared an intimate version of the movie that did not make it to the final cut.
E.T. was the recipient of four Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. (Photo Credit: X)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial enjoyed global popularity among kids and adults alike upon its release in 1982. The Academy Award-winning film, directed by Steven Spielberg, features Henry Thomas in the lead, alongside Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton and Dee Wallace in key roles. Henry essayed the character of Elliot, a young boy who forged an unlikely friendship with a stranded alien.
While E.T. is celebrated as a family-friendly sci-fi classic, actress Dee Wallace has now revealed that the film’s initial drafts had sexual undertones. The actress played the role of Elliot’s mother, Mary, in the film.
Dee Wallace appeared on the April 28 episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast. During an interaction with host Steve Kmetko, Dee shared an intimate version of the movie that did not make it to the final cut. She said, “There is a whole B story in E.T. about E.T. having a love affair with Mary, a love crush on Mary. And there are little bits of it left in there.”
Recalling one particular scene, Dee Wallace added, “There was a scene where he (ET) came in to put Reese’s Pieces down on my bedside table as I was asleep. Well, Mr (Steven) Spielberg wanted the sheet a little lower than I was comfortable with.” At that time, Dee expressed her concern to Steven Spielberg, citing that the specific sequence was a bit risque for a movie like E.T.
Dee Wallace said, “I argued my point that this was a family film (which was) very pure to me.” After discussing with E.T.’s producer Kathleen Kennedy and writer Melissa Mathison, the team was finally able to come to a conclusion. “We compromised and pulled the sheet up almost to my shoulder blades, which I was okay with,” disclosed the 70-year-old.
Speaking fondly about E.T., Dee Wallace confessed that she believed the film would strike the right chord with the masses. She said, “I could tell just from the way the audience responded. That film reaches into your soul, into your heart. It surpasses some block that we have and wakes us up,” she said.
E.T. was the recipient of four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, one BAFTA Award and one Grammy Award.
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