In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,Dee Wallace’s character arrives at the alien spaceship just in time to witness her son Elliott saying goodbye to the titular creature. As the little boy hugs E.T., tears begin to flow both on-screen and off. “Director Steven Spielberg was a very kind genius,” Dee tells Closer. “He knew exactly what he wanted, and he gave us all a lot of freedom to bring in ideas and follow our own impulses, which is when the magic happens.”
With more than 250 film credits, six series and over 200 commercials on her résumé, Dee, 73, has made a lot of magic over her long career, yet she will always have a special place in her heart for E.T., which is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
“My favorite scene is when I am readingPeter Panto Gertie [Drew Barrymore] and E.T. is spying on us. It reminds me of all the beautiful moments I have had with my own daughter when she was little,” Dee says. A special screening of the much-loved science fiction classic will kick off the 13th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on April 21 in Hollywood.
What are some of your other favorite memories filmingE.T.?
Some of my favorite memories were literally watching the kids and how they got together as a family. They played basketball and ran around with each other — even the little boy with no legs (Matthew De Meritt), who’d go around on a skateboard. It was really a family affair. That transferred in a beautiful way onto the film.
What was the biggest challenge of making the movie?
Waiting! When you work with creative people, you have to be there all the time. Waiting is always hard for me. You know there’s that old adage, “They don’t pay an actor to act, they pay them to wait!” It’s so true.
Was it hard to make believe the E.T. creature was alive?
That was easy. E.T., for me, was like working with another actor. He was so well made. So well orchestrated on the set. It was very magical.
Did you have any idea the movie would be so big when you filmed it?
No, you never know. So many things have to come together. When and how the movie is being released. The marketing. Is the public ready for the message of the film? So many things go into making a hit. I think most creative people just go into a project wanting to do their best.
Did you always want to be an actress?
I wanted to be a dancer. And I was a dancer for a while. I was a soloist with a couple of companies in the Midwest. But my teacher took me aside and said, “I want to tell you something. You will always be good, you will never be great. If you want to be great, go do something else.” So I went to the next thing I knew, which was acting. I watched my mother, who was a local actress in Kansas City. I remember sitting in our church, watching her do a 30-minute reading about the crucifixion. Everybody was crying. I thought, “Oh, I want to move people like my mom does.”
Was your family supportive?
Absolutely. My family was supportive about anything that made me happy. I try to live with that same spirit with my own daughter.
Did she follow in your footsteps?
She is an actress. We’ve done several things together. Her name is Gabrielle Stone, and she’s also a bestselling author. She writes books about how to find your power and the love for yourself after you’ve been abandoned. She’s served a lot of women. She and I share the same motto: As long as we’re creating, we’re happy.
What do you consider your big break?
The Lou Grant Show. I played a hooker! The biggest casting director in LA at the time, Lynn Stalmaster, saw me in that and brought me in for10with Blake Edwards.
Who have been some of your favorite costars?
Kids! I love all I worked with! [E.T.’s ] Henry [Thomas] and Drew [Barrymore]. Cujo’s Danny [Pintauro]. I did a film with Christopher Lloyd and enjoyed workingwith him. And, really, I have to say my husband, Christopher Stone. I did so many projects with him; We just had that charisma and adored working with each other. He passed away over 21 years ago.
Would you ever get married again?
No, but I’m with a great guy. I am very lucky to have him.
What do you do to stay healthy?
I power walk with my dog — he’s a rescue — a mile every day. We do our gratitude list while we walk. I eat healthy, nothing fried. Lots of fresh fish and vegetables and fruits. I have one drink — every once in a while two. But I really watch what I drink because my dad was an alcoholic and that’s not something I want to do to my body. I work out with a trainer twice a week.
What do you do for fun?
I love to dance and go to movies — which I really have missed in the last few years. And I love to give. I have a healing practice, Conscious Creation. I love to give to my clients. I have my own radio show every Sunday morning on BlogTalk. I do private sessions over the phone in my home, all across the world. I teach people how to love themselves and how to use the power of their own creation.
Your latest book,Born, has a similar theme. Tell us about it.
Born is a book that teaches the creation process in a fun and easily accessible way. If you want to know how to create money, successful relationships, success in career and health, you need to be very schooled in the power of love. How you see the world affects how much you create in your life, as much as how you see yourself. To know that you have control over creating your own life is freedom. And the beauty of it all is that it’s easy!
What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were younger?
I am more powerful than I ever thought I was. I felt like I knew it, and then I lost it. And then I got it back.
For more on this story, pick up the latest issue ofClosermagazine, on newsstands now.
