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| Dee Wallace Stone with E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. Wallace Stone played the mother of Elliott, the boy who found E.T. and helped him get home. It is the role for which she is most famous. Source: Photo courtesy of Dee Wallace Stone https://medium.com/intergenerational-inspiration/intergenerational-inspiration-q-a-with-dee-wallace-hollywood-actress-9ba56bd62440 (May be subject to copyright) |
A few months ago when I was binge-watching “911”, there was someone familiar playing Evan and Maddie’s mom. It took a couple minutes, and a quick check of the Internet Movie Data Base, for me to confirm it was Dee Wallace Stone.
Older now, she still conjured up memories of another mother she played almost 40 years ago – Elliott’s mother on “ET: The Extraterrestrial”.
That would be Dee Wallace Stone’s most famous role, but not the only thing she did in the 1980s.
Outer space again
The other major role I saw Dee Wallace Stone in was "The Sky’s No Limit” in 1984, where she played an astronaut training to go into outer space. My outstanding memory was the aspiring astronauts all talking about how competitive the space program was then, a few minutes later, one of them jumping the line and, to the surprise of the others, being in the simulator. I think that was Dee Wallace Stone. Her co-stars for that movie were Sharon Gless and Anne Archer, so it may have been one of them too.
The other major role I saw Dee Wallace Stone in was "The Sky’s No Limit” in 1984, where she played an astronaut training to go into outer space. My outstanding memory was the aspiring astronauts all talking about how competitive the space program was then, a few minutes later, one of them jumping the line and, to the surprise of the others, being in the simulator. I think that was Dee Wallace Stone. Her co-stars for that movie were Sharon Gless and Anne Archer, so it may have been one of them too.
Prolific in movies and TV
Throughout the 1980s, Dee Wallace Stone continued to appear in movies, such as “Cujo” in 1983; “Secret Admirer” in 1985; and “Critters” in 1986.
Throughout the 1980s, Dee Wallace Stone continued to appear in movies, such as “Cujo” in 1983; “Secret Admirer” in 1985; and “Critters” in 1986.
She also guest starred in a lot of the TV dramas of the day including, “Simon and Simon”; “The Twilight Zone”; and “Hotel”.
Together We Stand
Dee Wallace Stone even tried her hand at network TV starring opposite Elliott Gould in a comedy called “Together We Stand” in 1986-1987. I saw it when I was in Grade 12, and it really wasn’t that good, the reason why it only lasted 19 episodes. It was about a married couple who raise three adopted and one biological child of different ethnicities.
Dee Wallace Stone even tried her hand at network TV starring opposite Elliott Gould in a comedy called “Together We Stand” in 1986-1987. I saw it when I was in Grade 12, and it really wasn’t that good, the reason why it only lasted 19 episodes. It was about a married couple who raise three adopted and one biological child of different ethnicities.
My outstanding memory is that one of the children was played by Ke Huy Quan, who had recently played the boy Short Round opposite Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. In one episode, one of the jokes centred on how his character Sam, could not say Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last name, instead saying “Schwarzanooogie”. The day after that episode, I was sitting in Social 30 and my friend Shawn, who sat in front of me, turned around and said, “Schwarzanooogie”. He had obviously seen “Together We Stand” the night before as well.
Part way through its run, Elliott Gould was dropped and the show was re-named “Nothing is Easy”.
Parting thoughts
Dee Wallace Stone’s most famous role was one of her very first. She will be etched in movie history as Elliott’s mother in “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial”. Yet she continued to act all through the 1980s, 1990s and beyond.
Dee Wallace Stone’s most famous role was one of her very first. She will be etched in movie history as Elliott’s mother in “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial”. Yet she continued to act all through the 1980s, 1990s and beyond.
It is a tribute to her longevity that she is still working almost 40 years after that iconic, award-winning role, and still turning in solid performances.
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