Henry Thomas, the actor for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, expressed his discomfort about the fame following the release of the film in 1982. Thomas recalls feeling overwhelmed by fame and feeling pressure to follow it up. He managed to stay in Texas for a long time and maintain a steady career. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, depicted a 10-year-old Thomas as Elliott, who became friends with an alien who found himself stranded on Earth but wanted to return to his home planet.