Drew Barrymore has been a beloved talk show host, Golden Globe-winning actress, producer, and director, but before that she was simply Gertie—an unforgettable 6-year-old in Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”. And one of her earliest co-stars, Dee Wallace, knew even then that Barrymore was destined for more.
Dee Wallace on Drew Barrymore on “E.T” Set
Wallace, who played Mary—the mother of Barrymore’s Gertie—in the 1982 classic, opened up about her experience on the Still Here Hollywood podcast with Steve Kmetko on April 28. Now 76, Wallace fondly recalled Barrymore’s early spark on the set. “That kid, we knew from day one she was going to be a producer and director,” Wallace said. “I’m sitting in a high director’s chair, first day on set, and she comes up to me and she goes, ‘Hi Dee, I’m going to sit in your lap now.’ And I said, ‘Okay, Drew, come on up.’ She just knew what she wanted, that one.”
Drew Barrymore: Child Star To Hollywood Icon
Barrymore, now 50, has certainly proven Wallace right. In the years since she charmed audiences as Gertie, Barrymore has carved out one of Hollywood’s most multifaceted careers. She went from child star to teen tabloid fixture to respected Hollywood mogul. Her acting career includes iconic roles in films like “Never Been Kissed”, “The Wedding Singer”, and “Charlie’s Angels”, which she also produced through her Flower Films banner.
Behind the camera, Barrymore made her directorial debut in 2009 with “Whip It”, a coming-of-age roller derby drama starring Elliot Page. She has also produced projects like “Fever Pitch”, “How to Be Single”, and Netflix’s dark comedy series “Santa Clarita Diet”, which she also starred in. Most recently, Barrymore has brought her effusive charm and vulnerability to daytime television with “The Drew Barrymore Show”, where she often reflects on her storied career and occasionally reunites with former castmates—including Wallace.
During their conversation, Wallace also praised Spielberg’s approach to working with children, recalling how the legendary director avoided over-rehearsing with the young actors to keep their performances authentic. “You can’t rehearse and overwork kids because kids live in the moment,” Wallace said. “And if you keep trying to get them to do the same thing over and over again, it gets old. And you can tell they’re acting.”
That freshness paid off—”E.T.” became a global phenomenon, breaking box office records and becoming the highest-grossing film of all time until Spielberg topped himself with “Jurassic Park” in 1993. According to Wallace, the movie had a magic that continues to resonate: “That film reaches into your soul, into your heart. It surpasses some block that we have and wakes us up.”
Wallace, who remains close with Barrymore and other members of the cast, also recalled the powerful moment when she first read the script. “I don’t know how much this is going to do for me,” she told her agent at the time, “but I think it’s going to do a lot for the world. And I want to be a part of it.”
Steven Spielberg Reflects on Working With Drew Barrymore
Director Steven Spielberg also remembered Barrymore’s unique energy on set, speaking at a January panel in honor of the film. “Drew made up a lot of her own dialogue because she was irrepressible,” he said, calling her improvisations “gold” and revealing that many of them ended up in the final cut.
From the moment she walked on set, Barrymore left an impression. More than four decades later, that same fearless spark continues to fuel her career—a journey that began with a wide-eyed girl and an alien in a California suburb, and has since spanned decades of reinvention, resilience, and remarkable creative control.
