What has Henry Thomas done since portraying Elliott in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial? Now streaming on Netflix, Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic includes several future stars, including Drew Barrymore, C. Thomas Howell, and even Erika Eleniak. Decades later, Thomas remains a relevant cultural figure after starring in one of 2020's most popular horror series.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial marked the second film role for Thomas, who stars as a California boy who forms a powerful bond with an alien stranded on Earth. Spielberg's film immediately became a box office sensation and naturally allowed Thomas to pursue an industry career. Like many child actors, however, he had a modest career while still an adolescent, and only appeared in four more films during the '80s after starring in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
By 1990, Thomas took a major leap forward in his career. Now 19 years old, he landed a lead role as Young Norman Bates in the franchise movie Psycho IV: The Beginning. Four years later, he joined the main cast for Legends of the Fall as Samuel Ludlow, the younger brother of Brad Pitt's Tristan Ludlow. Thomas remained a busy actor throughout the '90s, with his most notable roles coming in the movie Suicide Kings and the miniseries Moby Dick. Then, during the early 2000s, the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial star landed a starring role in Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses, and followed that up with a supporting role as Johnny Sirocco in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York. Barely 30 years old, Thomas had transformed into a successful adult actor.
From 20oo to 2002, Thomas was married to Kelly Hill, and eventually wed actress Marie Zielcke in 2004. By 2007, he'd starred in various low-budget movies since appearing in Gangs of New York, and then married for a third time (to Annalee Fery). Thomas' career picked up again in 2010 with a supporting role in Nicholas Sparks adaptation Dear John, and he subsequently starred as T.J. Karsten in the short-lived ABC Series Betrayal. In 2016, the actor reached the next phase of his career via his first collaboration with filmmaker Mike Flanagan.
Thomas portrayed Father Tom Hogan in Flanagan's 2016 hit Ouija: Origin of Evil and then reunited with the filmmaker for Gerald's Game. In 2018, Thomas' career elevated once again upon starring as Young Hugh Crain in Flanagan's Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, which was followed by a small yet memorable role as The Bartender — the ghost of Jack Torrance — in Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining. In 2020, Thomas collaborated with Flanagan for The Haunting of Bly Manor, in which the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial star portrays the troubled Henry Wingrave. Looking ahead, Thomas will appear in Flanagan's new Netflix series Midnight Mass, and has also landed starring roles in the movies Riptide and Barely Afloat.