The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Sometimes, the reputations of certain movies have been built up so much over the decades that, to an extent, newcomers can't help but come away disappointed when they finally experience it for the very first time. Others, however, live up to every inch of their status as bona fide classics. It's safe to say that "Close Encounters of a Third Kind," director Steven Spielberg's first film about extraterrestrial visitors (yes, even before "E.T.," though this film would influence the filmmaker's approach years later), belongs firmly in the latter category. Although multiple generations of movie lovers only encountered the 1977 film through their parents, film school courses, or entirely on their own, various re-releases over the years and constant praise from both filmmakers and critics alike have kept "Close Encounters" exactly where it deserves to be — at the forefront of the conversation about the greatest and most influential movies of all time.

Of course, any film that came out the same year as George Lucas' original "Star Wars" will inevitably contend with the matter of aging. The visual and special effects may not feel as impressive anymore (although we'd respectfully disagree), certain creative choices may have been made differently with the benefit of hindsight, and even Spielberg himself continued to dabble with various cuts of the film over the years. Sadly, however, not all of the cast of the game-changing sci-fi film have lived to see its fourth decade of anniversaries and celebrations. Some, like acclaimed French director François Truffaut (who portrayed UFO expert Claude Lacombe), passed away many years ago. Others, like the great Melinda Dillon, died much more recently. But a few major actors from "Close Encounters" continue to work and stay busy to this day.

Few actors, living or dead, have careers that could even come close to matching Richard Dreyfuss' résumé. Fittingly enough, no performance makes quite as much of an impact in "Close Encounters" than his portrayal of Roy Neary. And thankfully for us all, Dreyfuss continues to add to his legacy with new projects and roles on a yearly basis — not to mention several more still to come. As the unassuming Roy who finds himself sucked into an all-consuming obsession with UFOs, Dreyfuss rides an impossibly fine line between genuine awe and wonder at the mysteries of the universe ... and an almost callous disregard for the wants and needs of his own family, left behind in the wake of his newfound and borderline existential concerns. Fresh off his role in Spielberg's other genre classic "Jaws," Dreyfuss practically mounted a full-scale campaign for the lead role in "Close Encounters."

Since then, he became the then-youngest actor to ever win Best Actor for "The Goodbye Girl," overcame a debilitating drug addiction, and authored a comeback working alongside the likes of Rob Reiner and Bill Murray. In 2017, the actor was accused of sexual harassment by actor Jessica Teich, which he denied. He has continued to work regularly, most recently appearing in 2023's NBA sports drama "Sweetwater."

As important as Richard Dreyfuss is to "Close Encounters," perhaps nobody else provides as vital an emotional counterpoint as Teri Garr's Ronnie Neary. Portraying Roy's long-suffering wife, her frazzled attempts to keep a grip amid her husband's strange behavior and even support him (despite her extremely understandable misgivings) drive much of the character-based drama between the two main leads. While Roy becomes more and more fixated, to the detriment of his family life, Ronnie is finally forced to take their three kids and leave Roy altogether. It speaks to Garr's nuanced and fully relatable performance that audiences never once questioned any of her actions, instead siding with her over her erratic, UFO-hunting husband.

Prior to her casting in "Close Encounters," Garr had worked successfully for well over a decade through notable projects such as the Elvis Presley-starring "Viva Las Vegas" and the Adam West-led "Batman" (both uncredited), "The Andy Griffith Show," "Star Trek: The Original Series," and Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein." She would continue to work consistently for decades after teaming up with Spielberg in 1977, going on to star in Sydney Pollack's 1982 film "Tootsie" opposite Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, Martin Scorsese's excellent "After Hours" in 1985, and even a handful of episodes of "Friends." By the early 2000s, however, Garr had become much more choosy in her roles following a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and officially retired from the limelight in 2011.

The last (but certainly not least) major actor on our list is arguably the king of "Hey, I know that guy!" character actors throughout the last several years. Bob Balaban is an accomplished director, producer, and actor, having appeared in films as early as the 1960s before joining Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as David Laughlin, a cartographer and English-French interpreter/assistant to François Truffaut's scientist Claude Lacombe. Balaban appears in some of the most indelible moments in the entire film, particularly the opening sequence where he and his research expedition stumble upon the missing planes of the notorious Flight 19 ... before subsequently finding an entire military vessel in the middle of the Gobi Desert. Throughout the story, David represents a core theme of the film: communication. He eventually cracks the code on the mysterious tones and beeps emitted by the alien mother ship and is one of the many characters on hand to witness the movie's stunning climax.

In addition to keeping a studious diary of his experiences on set during filming (which he later published), Balaban went on to further establish himself as an immensely successful character actor with incredible range. Fans of a certain generation will remember him as the disgruntled NBC executive Russell Dalrymple in several episodes of "Seinfeld," but his lengthy credits also include appearances in "Ghost World," the brilliant murder-mystery "Gosford Park," an infamous turn in M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water," and various collaborations with auteur Wes Anderson — most recently in "Asteroid City." Balaban has been nominated for various Emmy Awards and even a Tony Award for his work in 1979's "The Inspector General."