Yahoo Lifestyle Steven Spielberg Praises Young Drew Barrymore's Improv Skills in 'E.T.'
In the early 1980s, Steven Spielberg and Drew Barrymore worked together on the children's film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. At the time, Drew was just six years old, starring as Gertie Taylor in her second acting role ever. Steven, on the other hand, had made a name for himself by directing movies like Jaws and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Needless to say, Steven and Drew's collaboration led to E.T. becoming an instant '80s classic, with people still watching it four decades later. And for everything fans may know about the movie, there are still some key details coming out about filming it from none other than the actress and director themselves.
When Steven and Drew met up at the TCM Classic Film Festival in New York City on January 27, they participated in a panel sharing secrets behind making the movie. Steven shared he knew Drew was perfect to play Gertie from her very first audition, and he loved working with her while on set. But he also shared the story of how Drew would often do her own thing when on camera — to the point of ad libbing instead of saying what was in the script.
"The camera was rolling and Drew said, 'I don't like his feet.' We used it," the director said to the audience, per People. "Drew made up a lot of her own dialogue because she was irrepressible."
But Steven wasn't the only one surprised by Drew's impressive improvisational skills for E.T. He also mentioned the movie's screenwriter Melissa Matheson was shocked by what Drew had said, as everything she said on camera "was gold."
"[Melissa] couldn't believe the stuff that Drew was coming up with," Steven added.
"I can't believe the stuff I came up with!" Drew replied.
Needless to say, Drew's influence on movie making seemed to have been there right from the beginning! And given how she went on to star in other hit movies (like Never Been Kissed, 50 First Dates and The Wedding Singer) and eventually directed a feature film (2009's Whip It) herself, it's easy to see how Steven made an impact on her life too.
What's more, Drew has often spoken out about how special it was for one of her first movies to have been E.T. "This feels like yesterday," she wrote alongside a throwback Instagram video of being interviewed for the movie in May 2024. "I will be forever grateful for E.T."
Now, if this is what Steven and Drew had to say about filming E.T., we can only imagine what they would have to say if they went on to work on another project together.
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