Heather O'Rourke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heather O'Rourke
O'Rourke c. 1986
Born	Heather Michele O'Rourke (1975-12-27)December 27, 1975 San Diego, California, U.S.
Died	February 1, 1988(1988-02-01) (aged 12) San Diego, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–1988

Heather Michele O'Rourke (born December 27, 1975 – died February 1, 1988) was a talented American child actress. She became famous for playing Carol Anne Freeling in the scary movie Poltergeist (1982). This role made her a well-known face in horror films.

Heather also played Carol Anne in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988). The third movie came out after she passed away. She was also known for her TV roles. She played Heather Pfister on Happy Days (1982–1983) and Melanie on Webster (1983). She also starred in the TV movie Surviving: A Family in Crisis (1985).

Heather O'Rourke was nominated for six Young Artist Awards during her career. She won one award for her work on Webster. Heather sadly died on February 1, 1988, after having heart problems. Doctors later said she had a serious problem with her intestine from birth, which led to a severe infection.

Early Life and Family

Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975. Her hometown was San Diego, California. Her mother, Kathleen, was a seamstress, and her father, Michael, was a carpenter. Heather had an older sister named Tammy, who was also an actress.

Her parents divorced in 1981. In 1984, Heather's mother married Jim Peele. At that time, they lived in a trailer park in Anaheim, California. Heather's success in acting later allowed her family to buy a house. They moved to Big Bear Lake, California.

When she wasn't acting, Heather went to Big Bear Elementary School. She was even the president of her 5th-grade class. At the time of her death, her family lived in Lakeside, California. This town is a suburb of San Diego.

Becoming an Actress

How Heather Got Her Start

The famous producer Steven Spielberg was looking for a special child actress. He wanted a "sweet four-year-old" for his horror movie Poltergeist (1982). One day, Spielberg saw five-year-old Heather having lunch. This was at the MGM studio cafeteria. Her older sister, Tammy, was filming another movie there.

Spielberg walked over to Heather and her family. He offered Heather the role in Poltergeist. She was signed for the movie the very next day. She got the part over Drew Barrymore. Drew Barrymore later starred in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial instead.

Playing Carol Anne Freeling

In Poltergeist, Heather played Carol Anne Freeling. Carol Anne was a young girl whose family's house was haunted. She became the main target for the ghosts. During filming, Spielberg helped Heather when she got scared. Once, a stunt frightened her, so Spielberg used a stunt double. The double wore a blonde wig just like Heather's hair.

Heather's performance in Poltergeist was highly praised. The New York Times said she was very important to the movie. They wrote that her "wide eyes, long blonde hair and soft voice" made her stand out. The movie became very popular and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Heather was also nominated for a Young Artist Award.

Her famous lines from the movies became part of pop culture. In the first film, she said, "They're here!" In the second, she said, "They're baa-aack!" The line "They're here!" is ranked high on the American Film Institute's list of "100 Movie Quotes."

Other Acting Roles

After Poltergeist (1982), Heather got many roles on TV shows and in TV movies. In 1983, she appeared as herself in a TV special. It was called Believe You Can...and You Can! She also had guest roles on shows like CHiPs and Matt Houston.

Heather also had a recurring role on Happy Days as Heather Pfister. She played Melanie on Webster for three episodes. For her role on Webster, Heather won her first Young Artist Award. She also appeared in TV movies like Massarati and the Brain and Surviving: A Family in Crisis.

Heather returned to play Carol Anne Freeling in two more Poltergeist movies. These were Poltergeist II: The Other Side in 1986 and Poltergeist III in 1988. While these movies got mixed reviews, Heather's acting was still praised. Poltergeist III was her last movie. It was released in June 1988, a few months after she passed away.

Illness and Passing

In early 1987, Heather became sick with an infection called giardiasis. She got it from the well water at her family's home. Later, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. This is a condition that affects the digestive system. She received special injections to treat it while filming Poltergeist III. These injections caused her cheeks to swell, which her mother said made Heather feel self-conscious.

Inscription at O'Rourke's crypt

On January 31, 1988, Heather started feeling like she had the flu. The next morning, she collapsed at home. She was quickly taken to Community Hospital in El Cajon. On the way, her heart stopped, but paramedics were able to restart it. She was then flown to the Children's Hospital of San Diego.

Doctors found that she had a problem with her intestine that had been there since birth. She had emergency surgery. She survived the surgery, but her heart stopped again in the recovery room. Doctors tried to save her for over 30 minutes, but Heather was pronounced dead that afternoon. The cause of her death was a serious narrowing of the intestine from birth, made worse by a severe infection.

A doctor from the University of California, Irvine Medical Center said Heather's death was "very unusual." This was because she hadn't shown many symptoms of the bowel problem before. However, he also said that a birth defect in the bowel could cause sudden death if an infection made it rupture. Heather's funeral was held on February 5 in Los Angeles. She was buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Recognition

Awards and Nominations

Heather O'Rourke was nominated for six Young Artist Awards. She won one of these awards in 1985 for her role on the TV show Webster.

Special Honors

• Her famous line "They're here!" from Poltergeist is ranked No. 69. This is on the American Film Institute's 2005 list of "100 Movie Quotes."
• PopSugar also included her line "They're here!" on their 2021 list of "100 Greatest Movie Quotes."

See also

In Spanish: Heather O'Rourke para niños