Henry Thomas, who played the lead role in the film E.T., admitted he regrets the role and discussed the impacts it had on his life.
Thomas, now 53, starred in the film as Elliot when he was just 9 years old. The young actor was chosen by Spielberg for the role of the boy who befriends the extraterrestrial being who crashed on Earth.
In an interview with The Mirror, Thomas admitted that he regretted the role. “My world went completely crazy. I was that kind of stupid famous, that you can’t go anywhere,” he explained.
“It was like that for the first six months after E.T. came out in theaters. I would go out and get surrounded. I was a shy kid, and being approached by adults all the time scared me.”
“I was like a circus freak. But the only time I had to deal with it was when I left the house. So I stopped leaving the house. I became an 11-year-old hermit,” Thomas lamented.
In a conversation with The Guardian, he also mentioned that his family wasn’t prepared for the level of fame he reached. Despite taking the necessary precautions, he said strangers sometimes showed up at his house, in addition to constantly receiving unwanted calls.
“I still don’t think it’s a great way to grow up. It was exciting for me, I went to some strange places and met some interesting people. But it was also very disturbing for my parents’ marriage. Our social life became strange.”
“You become famous and suddenly all the cousins you’ve never met reach out. People are weird, they do weird things. As a kid, it’s a lot to handle. And as an adult [too], but at least then you have all your faculties, I hope, to deal with fame,” Thomas added.
See this photo on Instagram
Photo and video: Instagram @hjthomasjr. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
