Heather O'Rourke
| Heather O'Rourke | |
|---|---|
O'Rourke as Carol Anne Freeling in Poltergeist (1982)
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| Born |
December 27, 1975 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 1988 (aged 12) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest caused by septic shock due to intestinal stenosis |
| Resting place | Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Heather Michelle O'Rourke |
| Education | Big Bear Elementary School Big Bear Middle School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1981–1988 |
| Notable work | Carol Anne Freeling in the Poltergeist franchise |
| Television | Happy Days (1982–83) |
| Parent(s) | Michael O'Rourke (father) Kathleen O'Rourke (mother) |
| Relatives | Tammy O'Rourke (older sister) James A. "Jim" Peele (stepfather) Charlie Walker (brother-in-law) |
Heather O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988) was an American child actress. She was discovered by director Steven Spielberg when she was visiting MGM's studios. Spielberg cast her as Carol Anne Freeling in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist, where she had the movie's most recognizable line: "They're here!" She reprised the role in the second and third installments.
O'Rourke also had a recurring role on Happy Days from 1982 to 1983, and she made several television guest appearances. She died at the age of 12 of cardiac arrest and septic shock caused by a misdiagnosed intestinal stenosis in early February 1988.
Heather O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego, California, to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke. Her mother worked as a seamstress and her father was a construction worker. She had an older sister, Tammy. Kathleen and Michael divorced in 1981, and O'Rourke's mother married truck driver James A. "Jim" Peele in 1984. After her parents' divorce, O'Rourke rarely saw her birth father and called her stepfather "Dad".
Before O'Rourke began acting, the family lived in a trailer park in Anaheim. Her success later allowed the family to purchase a home in Big Bear Lake, California. In between acting jobs, O'Rourke attended Big Bear Elementary School where she was president of her class. At the time of her death, the family was living in Lakeside, California.
In a contemporary interview with American Premiere magazine, producer Steven Spielberg explained that he was looking for a "'beatific' four-year-old child...every mother's dream" for the lead in his 1982 horror film Poltergeist. While eating in the MGM commissary, Spielberg saw five-year-old Heather O'Rourke having lunch with her mother while older sister Tammy was shooting Pennies from Heaven. After his lunch, Spielberg approached the family and offered O'Rourke the Poltergeist role; she was signed the next day, beating Drew Barrymore, who was up for the role.
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