- Thomas starred in both “Legends of the Fall” and “Gangs of New York.”
- He told Insider between Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, Pitt was more fun to hang out with.
- “We were out in the mountains in the middle of nowhere so maybe that had something to do with it.”
Though Henry Thomas will forever be known for playing Elliott in the beloved 1982 Steven Spielberg movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” the actor has gone on to have some impressive supporting roles across from superstars.
1994’s “Legends of the Fall” saw Thomas play the youngest of three brothers growing up in the Montana wilderness and falling in love with the same woman. Many of Thomas’ scenes were with Brad Pitt, who played one of his brothers in the movie.
In the 2002 Martin Scorsese movie “Gangs of New York,” Thomas played the friend of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character who shows him all the different gangs making up Lower Manhattan’s Five Points in the 1800s.
Miramax
When asked which star was more fun to hang out with when filming would wrap for a day, Thomas didn’t hesitate with his answer.
“Brad Pitt. Much more fun,” Thomas, now 51, told Insider in a recent interview in celebration of the 40th anniversary of “E.T.”
“I didn’t really hang out with Leo,” Thomas continued. “But I hung out with Brad. We got along pretty well so we had fun. And we were out in the mountains in the middle of nowhere so maybe that had something to do with it.”
Though today Thomas might not be as big of a name as Pitt or DiCaprio, he knows all about stardom from when as a 10-year-old, his role in “E.T.” made him a global star.
Thomas admits that even when he got to high school he couldn’t escape the character because “E.T.” would still get rereleased in theaters.
Universal
“It was difficult for a time as a teenager kind of wanting to distance myself from being a boy and always being associated with being 10 years old,” he said. “So that was tough as a young guy.”
To date, Thomas hasn’t been cast in another Spielberg movie since “E.T.,” though the actor admits he’s tried a few times to work with the director who gave him his start.
“I auditioned for ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and a few other films but we haven’t worked together since,” Thomas said.
Regardless, Thomas has found steady work as a character actor. Most recently he’s been a regular in the work of Mike Flanagan, starring in “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Doctor Sleep,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” and “Midnight Mass.”