Movies - TV
A Young Drew Barrymore Improvised One Of E.T.’s Most Honest Lines
By CAROLINE MADDEN
Drew Barrymore starred in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” when she was only six years old. Director Steven Spielberg recalled that Barrymore improvised a memorable line in the film.
When Gertie (Barrymore) first sees the titular E.T., she takes a quizzical look at the alien and says, “I don’t like his feet.” Spielberg explained how that line got in the film.
On “The Drew Barrymore Show,” Spielberg shared, “[Drew] said that during rehearsal, and I said, ‘Drew, can you remember to say that when the cameras
are rolling?’”
Barrymore’s observation was a sincere response to the E.T. animatronic, which was designed with short, stubby legs and a pair of splayed-out, bird-like feet with human toenails.
Her improvised line is a great example of how child actors’ innocence, active imagination, and lack of self-consciousness can make them fascinating performers.