It was the summer of 1982 when E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released in movie theaters, and everyone soon fell in love with the adorable Elliott, played by a young Henry Thomas, and his alien friend, whom Elliott was trying to help leave Earth and return home.
If you’ve ever wondered what the audition process might be like for a child actor, especially when they nab the role, this YouTube video shared by UniversalPicsSweden gives us an inside look at Henry Thomas’ audition for E.T. in the early 1980s.
The film went on to win four Academy Awards, for best original score, sound, sound effects editing, and visual effects.
E.T. was directed by none other than Steven Spielberg, and it sounds like the director extraordinaire himself in the video prepping the young actor for his big audition scene.
A voice from behind the camera tells Henry that in the scene he’s about to act out, an adult man from NASA arrives at his door and tells him that he knows that he’s been hiding a creature in his closet and he’s come to take the creature away.
Someone off-camera starts delivering lines opposite Henry, telling him that he’s here to take his alien friend away due to orders from the government. Almost immediately, a young Henry magically turns on the tears and powerfully exclaims, “You can’t take him away. He’s mine! … He’s my best friend.”
As the scene continues to play out, Henry is able to naturally emote even more, and when everything is said and done, you hear Steven Spielberg enthusiastically tell him “OK, kid. You got the job.”
To watch the casting tape of Henry Thomas audition for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, watch the video.
