More than four decades after the release of Steven Spielberg’s classic, many ET fans only recently discovered who was behind the costume of one of the most beloved movie characters.
Three actors were responsible for bringing ET to life: Tamara de Treaux and Pat Bilon, both of whom had dwarfism and are now deceased, wore the costume to perform the character’s movements.
The third actor, still unknown to much of the public, is Matthew De Meritt, who was just 11 years old at the time and was born without both legs.
In a 2002 interview with The Mirror, he recalled how he showed the ET team that he could walk on his hands.
“They did a costume test, took all my measurements, and filmed me walking on my hands,” he said.
“I had never shown anyone that I could walk on my hands, and I don’t see how they thought I would fit comfortably in a costume, […] but it ended up working,” he continued.
“I didn’t know that! Was he listed in the credits? It’s been ages since I saw that movie,” said one surprised fan. “I only found out about this today,” commented another.
Recently, De Meritt joined Spielberg and some members of the ET cast for a 40th-anniversary screening of the film’s release.
+Watch the trailer for the classic film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
Photos: YouTube The Universal Pictures[/caption>
Photos: YouTube The Universal Pictures. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
