"E.T." Sparks Spielberg's Fatherhood Journey, Barrymore Finds a Father Figure in the Director

A Father Figure and Training Wheels

Steven Spielberg has often credited working with Drew Barrymore on the 1982 film "E.T." as a turning point in his life, inspiring him to become a father. During a panel at the TCM Classic Film Festival in New York City, Spielberg shared that directing Barrymore and the other child actors on the film "changed his life." He stated, "I was obsessed with telling stories, but making 'E.T.' made me want to be a father for the first time. I never even thought about that until 'E.T.'"

Barrymore, who was six years old at the time of filming, responded to Spielberg's comments on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." She expressed relief that she hadn't discouraged Spielberg from becoming a parent, saying, "He always called me his training wheels for parenthood. I spent so much time with him, and he really took me under his wing."

"E.T." marked Barrymore's big break in Hollywood and the beginning of a close relationship with Spielberg. He became a significant father figure in her life, offering guidance and support. Barrymore recalled Spielberg persuading her not to get her ears pierced until she was 10 and spending time with him off set. "He was someone who was there and who I believed in, and I could call, and I would spend weekends at his house, and he was always showing movies," she said. "He was such a good father figure. I knew he was going to be the best father."

Spielberg went on to have seven children, including two stepchildren. He shares his first child, Max, with his ex-wife Amy Irving. After their divorce, he married Kate Capshaw, who already had two children, Theo and Jessica. Together, they had three more children and adopted another child.

In 2023, Vulture reported that Barrymore once asked Spielberg to be her dad after bonding with him on the set of "E.T." Spielberg declined but accepted a role as her godfather. He expressed concern about Barrymore believing she was being "robbed of her childhood," stating, "Yet I felt very helpless because I wasn't her dad. I could only kind of be a consigliere to her."

Barrymore, who now has two children of her own, has openly discussed her troubled childhood. She has spoken about her father's abuse and abandonment, and her mother's inappropriate behavior. At 14, Barrymore emancipated herself from her parents. While cutting her mother out of her life was initially painful, they have since reconciled.