Carol Anne Freeling, portrayed by Heather O'Rourke, is the central figure in the Poltergeist film series. She is the young suburban girl who becomes the conduit and target for supernatural entities.
Heather O'Rourke: The Angel-Faced Star
Heather Michele O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 - February 1, 1988) rose to prominence at the tender age of five when she landed the starring role in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 horror classic Poltergeist. O’Rourke’s acting career would overshadow anything her parents ever accomplished, but she wasn’t the only one in the family with their sights set on the stars. Her older sister Tammy was also an actress.
Early Life and Career
Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego, to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke. Her mother worked as a seamstress and her father was a carpenter. She had an older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also an actress.
By the time she was barely out of diapers, Heather O’Rourke would become a household name. In 1981, Heather's parents went through a tough divorce. Only a few years later, in 1984, her mother, Kathleen, remarried. She tied the knot with Jim Peele, a part-time truck driver. By then, the family had relocated to a trailer park in Anaheim, California-far from the picture-perfect Hollywood life many might imagine. However, nothing could dim O’Rourke’s rising star.
The "Hollywood Moment"
While casting for his upcoming ghost-themed horror flick, Poltergeist (1982), Steven Spielberg had a specific vision. The legendary director wanted a “beatific four-year-old child” to play the role of Carol Anne Freeling, the innocent yet haunted star of his frightening film.
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One day, O’Rourke was having lunch at an MGM commissary with her mother and sister, who had landed a part in Pennies from Heaven. Then, in one of those “only in Hollywood” moments Spielberg spotted his perfect star. After his lunch, Spielberg approached the family and offered O'Rourke the Poltergeist role; she was signed the next day over Drew Barrymore, who instead received the role of Gertie in E.T.
Behind the Scenes
Despite the undeniable charm of her angelic looks, Spielberg still wanted to make sure that O’Rourke could deliver on camera. But when the time came, little Heather blew her audition. When she tried to perform a scene in front of Spielberg where she was supposed to act scared, she couldn’t stop laughing. Studio executives were probably rolling their eyes-but Spielberg saw her potential.
O’Rourke got something that few other Hollywood hopefuls get: a second chance. Despite her non-stop laughter, Spielberg couldn’t shake the feeling that O’Rourke was special. During her second audition-with the help of a scary book-O’Rourke proved her star potential and gave Spielberg exactly what he was looking for. He asked O’Rourke to scream…and scream she did.
One of the more intense scenes in the frightening feature involved a wind machine blowing toys into a closet as O'Rourke's character, Carol Anne, clung to her bed. But it was too much for the young actress to handle. On a busy set, surrounded by grown ups who were supposed to protect her, O'Rourke completely fell apart. When the veteran director saw how much the wind machine was affecting her, he immediately stopped filming. Spielberg himself then picked her up, calmed her down, and promised he wouldn’t ask her to shoot that scene again.
Critical Acclaim and Iconic Lines
When Poltergeist premiered, young Heather O'Rourke instantly became a beloved child star. The New York Times described her as a key element of the film, noting that her “wide eyes, long blonde hair, and soft voice” made her unforgettable.
Read also: Unveiling Poltergeist's Production
Even casual film fans have probably heard the famous line, “They're here!” The immortal film quote was, of course, O’Rourke’s line, and her chilling delivery made it a cultural phenomenon. Thanks in large part to O’Rourke’s performance, Poltergeist not only gained a cult following, but it was also was a critical and commercial success.
Her delivery of the lines "They're here!" in the first film, and "They're baa-aack!" in the second (that film's tagline), placed her in the collective pop culture consciousness of the United States. On the American Film Institute's 2005 list of "100 Movie Quotes", O'Rourke's delivery of "They're here!" in Poltergeist is ranked No.
Notable Quotes from Carol Anne Freeling:
- "Hello? What do you look like? Talk louder, I can't hear you! Hey, hello! Hello, I can't hear you! Five. Yes. Yes. I don't know. I don't know."
- "Can I take my goldfish to school?"
- "Mommy? Where are you? I can't find you. I can't. I'm afraid of the light, mommy."
- "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I shall die before I wake...I pray the Lord my soul to take."
Henry Winkler Confirms What REALLY Happened to Heather O'Rourke SHOCKING!
Subsequent Roles
After her work in Poltergeist (1982), O'Rourke secured several television and TV movie roles. She starred alongside iconic Disney characters in the hour-long television special, Believe You Can...and You Can!. She also appeared in CHiPs, Webster, The New Leave It to Beaver, Our House, and had a recurring role on Happy Days as Heather Pfister. For Webster, O'Rourke won her first Young Artist Award. She also appeared in the television movies Massarati and the Brain and Surviving: A Family in Crisis.
O'Rourke went on to reprise the role of Carol Anne Freeling in the second and third installments, Poltergeist II: The Other Side in 1986 and Poltergeist III in 1988 respectively; unlike its predecessor, the films garnered mixed reviews, although O'Rourke's performances were praised. In fact, she disowned it after its release, saying that it wasn’t nearly as scary as it should have been. “I thought it was too boring,” she admitted.
Read also: Analyzing Poltergeist's Psychic Characters
On the set of Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), O'Rourke had a chilling real-life encounter. Let’s just say that she wasn’t acting when she looked terrified.
For her performance in Poltergeist II, O'Rourke landed her second nomination in as many films. She was nominated for the Youth in Film Awards in the category “Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Starring in a Feature Film”. Although she didn’t take home the prize, the nomination was still a testament to her talent.
The "Poltergeist Curse" and Tragic Passing
Shortly after Poltergeist (1982) hit theaters, tragedy started to surround the movie. Dominique Dunne, who played O'Rourke’s older sister in the movie, lost her life after a physical altercation with her ex-boyfriend. The horrific event marked the beginning of an ominous set of events that fans began calling the “Poltergeist Curse.” It’s hard to say that it was worth it.
Having appeared in both Poltergeist films, O’Rourke had no way of knowing that the dreaded “Poltergeist Curse” had already gotten ahold of her. Tragically, the premier of Poltergeist II: The Other Side would mark the last movie that the young actress would see released during her lifetime.
In early 1987, O'Rourke became ill with giardiasis, which she contracted from well water at her family's home in Big Bear Lake. She was subsequently diagnosed as having Crohn's disease. In January 1988, O'Rourke began feeling unwell, showing the first signs of what would later become a tragic medical emergency-or the fallout of a calamitous curse.
In late January 1988, the O'Rourke family had just moved into a new apartment in Lakeside, California. The next morning, O’Rourke insisted she was well enough to go to school, but her mother knew that something was wrong. O’Rourke couldn’t even swallow the toast that her mother gave her, her fingers and toes had turned blue, and her breathing became labored. Just then, O’Rourke collapsed and her mother frantically called the paramedics.
O’Rourke’s untimely demise left medical professionals scratching their heads. During the operation on the child star, doctors found the source of O’Rourke’s health problems-and it wasn’t good. The Poltergeist star, as it turned out, had an obstructed bowel. While they managed to remove the obstruction, it was already too late.
Even as she slipped into septic shock, O’Rourke remained conscious when the paramedics arrived. The emergency responders asked her if she felt unwell and she only meekly replied, “A little”. During the ambulance ride to the hospital, O’Rourke’s health only deteriorated and she suffered cardiac arrest. She then slipped into a state of unconsciousness. By the time she arrived at the hospital, the medical team said that she had “technically” passed to the other side.
Heather O'Rourke passed away on February 1, 1988, at the age of 12. Her passing ended the franchise. The studio had plans for a fourth Poltergeist film, once again starring their cherub-faced child star. But O’Rourke’s untimely demise and the media frenzy surrounding the “Poltergeist Curse” put a stop to those plans.
Her family paid their final respects to her on February 4, 1988, at Lakeside Memorial Chapel. The following day, they laid her to rest at Pierce Brothers in Westwood, California. Before O’Rourke’s mother closed her daughter’s casket, she placed a gold chain around her neck. The necklace had letters that spelled out “FRIEND” while she, herself, kept the companion chain that spelled “BEST”.
To many of her fans, O’Rourke’s tragic passing was the final disaster in the all-too-real “Poltergeist Curse”.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Film/Series | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Poltergeist | Nominated |
| 1984 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actress in a Television Series | Webster | Won |
| 1987 | Young Artist Award | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Starring in a Feature Film | Poltergeist II: The Other Side | Nominated |
| 1989 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actress in a Horror or Mystery Motion Picture | Poltergeist III | Nominated |
tags: #carol #anne #poltergeist #1982