Drew Barrymore Recreates Iconic ‘E.T.’ Look 44 Years Later
The 51-year-old actress revived the nostalgic look for her talk show.
Getty Images
Drew Barrymore has revived a 1980s hairstyle from the role that made her one of Hollywood’s most famous child actors.
The Emmy-winning talk show host, who played Gertie at age 7 in Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial in 1982, whipped out her wig on a Nov. 10 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show with actress Jessica Chastain.
Actress Drew Barrymore made her film debut at age 5 in "Altered States."
Steven Ferdman/Getty
A clip of the sweet moment was shared in an Instagram post, captioned, “Drew brings back her Gertie pigtails for E.T. fan @jessicachastain.”
The 51-year-old star smiled brightly in the golden pigtail wig, with nearly identical pink hair clips and bows from the movie.
“The last time I wore this was for Ryan Gosling,” Barrymore said, while pulling out an E.T. prop. She surprised the Project Hail Mary actor with the hairdo during a March interview on her show.
Drew Barrymore in the '80s film "E.T." and wearing the same hairstyle in a 2026 episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show."
Universal Pictures / The Drew Barrymore Show
“Oh my god, I love you so much,” Chastain said after realizing what Barrymore was up to.
“This is why you are who you are, and I love you. This is amazing,” she added.
Sign up to receive news and updates from The Looker
By clicking “Sign Up” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Oscar-winning actress said that if she could ask Gertie anything, she would ask her to do her makeup, calling back to a scene in the film where the character gives E.T. a makeover.
In 1982's "E.T.," the children give the alien a makeover.
Universal Pictures
“Yes, absolutely,” Barrymore responded.
Several fans commented on the clip, expressing their surprise at how similar the actress’s face looks 44 years later.
Jessica Chastain won an Oscar for her performance as televangelist Tammy Faye Baker in the 2021 film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
“Your face is exactly the same,” one person said in a comment with more than 2,000 likes.
Several fans commented on the clip from "The Drew Barrymore" show.
Other commenters said she looks “so young” and “beautiful.”
“Love that this wig is making its return,” another person mused.
“You are so adorable, Drew. I loved E.T., and Gertie was the cutest ever,” added another commenter.
Steven Spielberg and Drew Barrymore pose with E.T. at the Carlo Rimbaldi studio in Los Angeles, California, in April 1982.
Mark Sennet/Getty Images
Barrymore, who comes from one of Hollywood’s most well-known acting families, made her film debut at age 5 in Altered States before gaining worldwide fame for her role in E.T.
Drew Barrymore, who starred in her first movie at the age of 5, comes from one of Hollywood’s most well-known acting families.
Ron Galella/Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
A mother of two daughters—Olive Barrymore Kopelman, 14, and Frankie Barrymore Kopelman, 12, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Will Kopelman—the Never Been Kissed actress has publicly embraced aging on social media.
Drew Barrymore with her daughters, Olive Barrymore Kopelman and Frankie Barrymore Kopelman, at the Baby2Baby Holiday Party in Los Angeles on December 13, 2014.
Stefanie Keenan/Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Baby2Baby
“How beautiful is it that smile lines are physical evidence of all the times we have smiled,” she wrote in text over an April 7 Instagram video of herself smiling in the snow.
In a separate video shared on Dec. 23, Barrymore zoomed in on the character lines around her eyes.
Drew Barrymore gleefully spins in circles, smiling, in an Instagram video promoting natural aging and smile lines.
Drew Barrymore/Instagram
“Aging is a privilege that I will never take for granted,” she captioned the post.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…