<P> Carlo Rambaldi, who designed the aliens for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, was hired to design the animatronics of E.T. Rambaldi's own painting Women of Delta led him to give the creature a unique, extendable neck . Its face was inspired by those of Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and Ernest Hemingway . Producer Kathleen Kennedy visited the Jules Stein Eye Institute to study real and glass eyes . She hired Institute staffers to create E.T.'s eyes, which she felt were particularly important in engaging the audience . Four heads were created for filming, one as the main animatronic and the others for facial expressions, as well as a costume . Two dwarfs, Tamara De Treaux and Pat Bilon, as well as 12 - year - old Matthew DeMeritt, who was born without legs, took turns wearing the costume, depending on what scene was being filmed . DeMeritt actually walked on his hands and played all scenes where he walked awkwardly or fell over . The head was placed above that of the actors, and the actors could see through slits in its chest . Caprice Roth, a professional mime, filled prosthetics to play E.T.'s hands . The puppet was created in three months at the cost of $1.5 million . Spielberg declared it was "something that only a mother could love". Mars, Incorporated refused to allow M&M's to be used in the film, believing E.T. would frighten children . After Mars said "No", The Hershey Company was asked if Reese's Pieces could be used, and it agreed; this product placement resulted in a large increase in Reese's Pieces sales . Science and technology educator Henry Feinberg created E.T.'s communicator device . </P> <P> Having worked with Cary Guffey on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Spielberg felt confident in working with a cast composed mostly of child actors . For the role of Elliott, he auditioned hundreds of boys before Jack Fisk suggested Henry Thomas for the role because Henry had played the part of Harry in the film Raggedy Man which Jack Fisk had directed . Thomas, who auditioned in an Indiana Jones costume, did not perform well in the formal testing, but got the filmmakers' attention in an improvised scene . Thoughts of his dead dog inspired his convincing tears . Robert MacNaughton auditioned eight times to play Michael, sometimes with boys auditioning for Elliott . Spielberg felt Drew Barrymore had the right imagination for mischievous Gertie after she impressed him with a story that she led a punk rock band . He enjoyed working with the children, and he later said that the experience made him feel ready to be a father . </P> <P> The major voice work of E.T. for the film was performed by Pat Welsh . She smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, which gave her voice a quality that sound effects creator Ben Burtt liked . She spent nine - and - a-half hours recording her part, and was paid $380 by Burtt for her services . He also recorded 16 other people and various animals to create E.T.'s "voice". These included Spielberg, Debra Winger, his sleeping wife, who had a cold, a burp from his USC film professor, raccoons, otters, and horses . </P> <P> Doctors working at the USC Medical Center were recruited to play the ones who try to save E.T. after government agents take over Elliott's house . Spielberg felt that actors in the roles, performing lines of technical medical dialogue, would come across as unnatural . During post-production, he decided to cut a scene featuring Harrison Ford as the principal at Elliott's school . It featured his character reprimanding Elliott for his behavior in biology class and warning of the dangers of underage drinking . He is then taken aback as Elliott's chair rises from the floor, while E.T. is levitating his "phone" equipment up the stairs with Gertie . </P>

What actress contributed to the voice of e.t