Drew Barrymore asked Steven Spielberg to be her father on ‘E.T.’
When making his beloved science fiction E.T., director Steven Spielberg took it upon himself to provide a paternal and protective role for his child stars to ensure the best film was delivered. He did such a good job, it seems, that Drew Barrymore, aged only seven at the time, actually asked him to be her real father.
Preserving the sense of wonder for the children was integral to the director’s vision for the film. Noticing that Barrymore believed the titular alien was actually real, Spielberg made sure he maintained the illusion. When the young actor noticed E.T. was being operated by crewmembers, she was distraught and demanded that they leave set.
“I didn’t want to burst the bubble,” Spielberg said, recalling the incident. “So I simply said, ‘It’s okay, E.T. is so special E.T. has eight assistants. I am the director, I only have one.” The director made sure that there were several operators on call during lunch breaks so that the young Barrymore could eat with E.T. and her belief in the alien be upheld.
Speaking with Vulture, Barrymore recalls the extent of her and Spielberg’s relationship, referring to him as “the only person in my life to this day that ever was a parental figure”. The actor’s own father, who was abusive and alcoholic, unfortunately, contributed to an ongoing personal crisis that resulted in Barrymore’s use of drugs at such an early age.
Spielberg has admitted to feeling remorse about potentially depriving the young actor of her childhood, explaining: “She was staying up way past her bedtime, going to places she should have only been hearing about, and living a life at a very tender age. Yet I felt very helpless because I wasn’t her dad. I could only kind of be a consigliere to her.”
Taking personal responsibility for the situation, Barrymore recounts how the director spent time with her off-set, taking her to places like Disneyland and even giving the young girl a pet cat “named Gertie”. Barrymore’s own father, who was an actor himself, reportedly did nothing to aid his daughter’s burgeoning acting career. On her father’s attitude to the industry, Barrymore says: “Talk about someone who was not a careerist. He was like, ‘I will burn this fucking dynasty to the ground.’”
Ultimately, whilst not taking Barrymore on as his legal daughter, Spielberg did agree to become her godfather, and both have confirmed that they remain close even now. After her breakout role in E.T., the actor has gone on to forge a successful career spanning over 30 years, most recently lending her voice to reprise her role of Casey Becker in the 2022 instalment of the popular horror franchise Scream.
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