Liroff: HI.
I'M MARCI LIROFF,
AND THIS IS THE STORY
OF HOW WE CAST ELLIOTT IN "E.T."
I WAS CASTING
"E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL,"
AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIND
THE LEAD BOY
TO PLAY THE ROLE OF ELLIOTT.
SO WE'D FOUND MOST OF THE KIDS
THAT WERE GONNA PLAY
HIS FRIENDS.
WE HAD KIND OF HONED IN THE KID
THAT WE WANTED TO PLAY
THE ROLE OF ELLIOTT.
IN THIS SITUATION,
SINCE THEY WERE ALL KIDS,
WE WANTED TO SEE
HOW THEY WOULD INTERACT TOGETHER
BY PLAYING A GAME.
WE INVITED THEM ALL
TO THE WRITER,
MELISSA MATHISON'S, HOUSE
TO PLAY DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,
AND WE SAT AROUND
THE OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM,
WATCHING THEM INTERACT.
IN ABOUT THREE MINUTES,
IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT NOBODY
LIKED THIS LITTLE BOY.
I JUST THINK,
WHEN YOU PLAY A GAME,
SOMETIMES YOUR TRUE CHARACTER
COMES OUT,
AND THESE KIDS
JUST DIDN'T REALLY LIKE HIM.
HE BECAME VERY BOSSY.
IT JUST SHOWED
THAT HE WAS NOT OUR KID.
SO I BASICALLY
HAD TO START OVER.
THROUGH OUR TRAVELS OF CASTING,
STEVEN SPIELBERG GOT
A PHONE CALL FROM JACK FISK,
WHO IS A DIRECTOR AND DIRECTED
A FILM CALLED "RAGGEDY MAN,"
STARING HIS WIFE, SISSY SPACEK.
THEY HAD JUST USED
THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE BOY
NAMED HENRY THOMAS
TO PLAY ONE OF THE LEADS
IN THEIR FILM.
HE WAS FROM A SMALL TOWN
IN TEXAS.
WE FLEW HIM IN.
HE WAS EXHAUSTED AND A LITTLE
OVERWHELMED BY THE WHOLE THING.
AND HE SAT IN THE OUTER OFFICE
AND READ THE SCRIPT
SO THAT HE KNEW
WHAT THE STORY WAS,
AND THEN WE BROUGHT HIM IN
TO DO BASICALLY AN IMPROV
THAT SPIELBERG SET UP.
Spielberg:
YOU'VE HAD THIS CREATURE NOW
FOR THREE OF FOUR WEEKS.
YOU BECOME BEST FRIENDS
WITH IT.
AND HE WANTS TO TAKE
THE CREATURE AWAY,
AND HE'S COME
WITH A SEARCH WARRANT,
AND HE'S COME WITH PERMISSION
TO TAKE THE CREATURE AWAY,
AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA LET HIM.
OKAY.
Liroff:
I HAD MY BOSS, MIKE FENTON,
PLAY A GUY FROM NASA
WHO HEARD THAT HENRY HAD E.T.
IN HIS HOUSE.
AND HENRY'S JOB WAS TO DO
ANYTHING HE COULD DO
NOT TO LET THE NASA OFFICIAL
TAKE HIM.
Thomas: [ Voice breaking ]
YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM.
Fenton: WELL...I'M AFRAID
I HAVE TO, SON.
Thomas: YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM AWAY!
HE'S MINE!
Fenton: BUT IT'S NOT MY CHOICE.
THE PRESIDENT ASKED ME
TO COME HERE AND GET HIM.
Thomas: I DON'T CARE
WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS.
HE'S MY BEST FRIEND,
AND YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM AWAY!
Liroff:
IN ABOUT THREE SECONDS FLAT,
HE HAD US ALL CRYING
BEHIND THE CAMERA.
HE JUST BECAME THIS LITTLE BOY.
HE USED HIS --
I THINK HIS FEAR AND HIS ANXIETY
TO REALLY PUSH FURTHER
IN THE ROLE.
AND HE MOVED US SO DEEPLY
AND SO, SO FULLY,
AND BY THE END OF THE SCENE,
SPIELBERG WAS -- WAS HITTING
MIKE IN THE ARM, GOING,
"TELL HIM HE CAN KEEP HIM.
TELL HIM HE CAN KEEP HIM."
'CAUSE WE WERE ALL
BEHIND THE CAMERA
JUST LIKE [IMITATES SOBBING]
AND SO HE FINALLY SAID HE COULD
KEEP HIM, AND STEVEN SAID...
Spielberg: OKAY, KID.
YOU GOT THE JOB.
[ LAUGHTER ]
Liroff: AND IT WAS JUST
ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING
AND MOVING AUDITION EXPERIENCES
I HAD REALLY EVER BEEN THROUGH.
