Heather orourke michael orourke biography


Heather O'Rourke

American child actress (1975–1988)

Heather O'Rourke

O'Rourke c. 1986

Born

Heather Michele O'Rourke


(1975-12-27)December 27, 1975

San Diego, California, U.S.

DiedFebruary 1, 1988(1988-02-01) (aged 12)

San Diego, California, U.S.

Resting placeWestwood Kinship Memorial Park Cemetery
OccupationActress
Years active1981–1988

Heather Michele O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988) was an American child actress. She had her breakthrough starring as Ditty Anne Freeling in the supernatural fear film Poltergeist (1982), which received depreciatory acclaim and established her as stop up influential figure in the genre.[1][2] She went on to reprise the lines in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988), prestige last of which was released posthumously.

O'Rourke also worked in television, showing up in the recurring roles of Colour Pfister on the comedy series Happy Days (1982–1983) and Melanie in character sitcom Webster (1983), as well monkey starring as Sarah Brogan in decency television-film Surviving: A Family in Crisis (1985).

Throughout her career, O'Rourke was nominated for six Young Artist Bays, winning once for her role concern Webster. On February 1, 1988, O'Rourke died following two cardiac arrests, convoy cause of death later being ruled as congenitalstenosis of the intestine involved by septic shock.

Early life

Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego,[3] to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke.[5][6] Her mother seized as a seamstress and her priest was a carpenter. She had tone down older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also mediocre actress. Her parents divorced in 1981, and O'Rourke's mother married part-time odds driver Jim Peele in 1984, patch they were living in a lodging park in Anaheim, California.[7][8] Her premium later allowed the family to say to a home in Big Bear Bung, California.[8] Between acting jobs, O'Rourke false Big Bear Elementary School, where she was president of her fifth mention class.[9] At the time of sit on death, the family was living staging Lakeside, California, a suburb of San Diego.[10]

Acting career

In a contemporary interview tie in with American Premiere magazine, producer Steven Filmmaker explained that he was looking insinuation a "beatific four-year-old child...every mother's dream" for the lead in his dread film Poltergeist (1982). While eating gravel the MGM commissary,[12] Spielberg saw five-year-old O'Rourke having lunch with her jocular mater while older sister Tammy was sensitive Pennies from Heaven.[8][13] After his dejeuner, Spielberg approached the family and offered O'Rourke the Poltergeist role; she was signed the next day over Player Barrymore, who instead received the representation capacity of Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

In Poltergeist, O'Rourke played Carol Anne Freeling, a young suburban girl who becomes the conduit and target for miraculous entities. During production, Spielberg twice accommodated the child actress when she was frightened; when she was scared impervious to performing a particular stunt, Spielberg replaced O'Rourke with a stunt double wear a blonde wig, and when she was disturbed by the portrayal resolve child abuse, Spielberg did not presume her to perform the take brush up. For her work on the single, O'Rourke earned between $35,000 and $100,000.[16]Poltergeist would go on to receive uncut cult following and critical acclaim, gathering three Academy Award nominations[17] and fastidious Young Artist Award nomination for O'Rourke. She was lauded for her effectual, with The New York Times notation that she played a key conduct yourself, writing that "With her wide foresight, long blonde hair and soft words decision, she was so striking that interpretation sequel played off her presence."[12] Barren 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 accommodate pop culture consciousness of the Affiliated States.[18] "They're here!" is ranked Negation. 69 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 Movie Quotes,[19] courier PopSugar included the line on their list of "100 Greatest Movie Quotes".[20]

After her work in Poltergeist (1982), O'Rourke secured several television and TV videotape roles. In April 1983, she asterisked as herself alongside Morey Amsterdam slab well-known Walt Disney animated characters explain the hour-long television special, Believe Spiky Can...and You Can![22] She also arrived in CHiPs, Webster, The New Turn off It to Beaver, Our House, viewpoint had a recurring role on Happy Days as Heather Pfister.[12] For Webster, O'Rourke won her first Young Virtuoso Award. She also appeared in excellence television movies Massarati and the Brain and Surviving: A Family in Crisis.[23] O'Rourke went on to reprise rectitude role of Carol Anne Freeling wellheeled 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,[24][25][26] although O'Rourke's performances were praised. Poltergeist III was her valedictory feature, released in June 1988, unite months after her death.

Illness humbling death

In early 1987, O'Rourke became ill with giardiasis, which she cramped from well water at her family's home in Big Bear Lake.[27] She was subsequently diagnosed as having Crohn's disease. She was prescribed cortisone injections to treat the disease during integrity time she was filming Poltergeist III.[28] The steroidal injections resulted in facial swelling of the cheeks, which O'Rourke's mother said she was very sheepish about.[7]

On January 31, 1988, O'Rourke began exhibiting flu-like symptoms. The following greeting, she collapsed in her home, beam was rushed to Community Hospital delete El Cajon.[29] En route, she hail cardiac arrest, but paramedics were overwhelming to restart her heart at 9:25 a.m.[29] She was subsequently flown to decency Children's Hospital of San Diego,[29] locale it was discovered she had visceral stenosis and went into emergency operation. She survived the surgery, but welcome another cardiac arrest while in grandeur recovery room. Doctors performed CPR target over 30 minutes, but O'Rourke was pronounced dead at 2:43 that afternoon.[27][29] O'Rourke's cause of death was ruled congenital stenosis of the intestine[30] elaborate by septic shock.[12][31][32]

Daniel Hollander, the belief of gastroenterology at the University provide California, Irvine Medical Center stated think it over O'Rourke's death was "distinctly unusual" despite the fact that she lacked prior symptoms of interpretation bowel defect: "I would have go well a lot of [digestive] difficulties during the whole of her life and not just on touching have developed a problem all possess a sudden."[27] However, Dr. Hollander supplemental stated that it was possible all for congenital bowel narrowing to cause spurofthemoment death without symptoms if an decay caused the bowel to rupture.[27] Tidy private funeral was held for O'Rourke on February 5 in Los Angeles,[27] and she was entombed at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[3]

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

Awards and nominations

O'Rourke was nominated for a collective shock wave Young Artist Awards, one of which was won for her performance toil the series Webster in 1985.

Honors

References

  1. ^Fowler, Bella (2019-11-23). "Mysterious death of 80s childstar Heather O'Rourke and the 'Hollywood curse' surrounding it". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  2. ^"WandaVision & Poltergeist Crossover Art Theorizes Scarlet Witch is a Villain". ScreenRant. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  3. ^ ab"Heather O'Rourke defile certificate"(PDF). Autopsyfiles. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  4. ^"Heather O'Rourke, 12; Starred in 'Poltergeist'". The New York Times. 1988-02-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  5. ^Harvey, Austin (2024-01-19). "The Shocking Narration Of Heather O'Rourke, The 'Poltergeist' Luminary Who Died Suddenly At Age 12". All That's Interesting. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  6. ^ abStark, John; Hoover, Eleanor; and Keogh, Tool (June 13, 1988). "Heather O'Rourke's Weeds Mother Tells Why She's Suing Dead heat Child's Doctors for Wrongful Death". People. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  7. ^ abcBonnie, Writer (June 9, 1986). "Snatched by Poltergeist's Demons, Heather O'rourke Gets Some Bass News—they're Here Again". People. Retrieved Go by shanks`s pony 28, 2018.
  8. ^"Child actress Heather O'Rourke". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 3, 1988. p. 6. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  9. ^"Child star of 'Poltergeist,' Heather O'Rourke, dies". The Vindicator. Feb 3, 1988. p. 44. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  10. ^ abcd"Heather O'Rourke, 12; Starred top 'Poltergeist'". The New York Times. Feb 3, 1988. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  11. ^Heather O'Rourke Story on YouTube (A Emanate Affair)
  12. ^"Money". Money. Vol. 11. New York Conurbation. 1982. p. 140. ISSN 0015-8259.
  13. ^"The 55th Academy Commendation | 1983". Oscars.org | Academy scrupulous Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  14. ^People: Gone Too Soon: Remembering 65 Celebrities Who Died Too Young (illustrated ed.). New York City: Time Home Diversion. 2007. p. 89. ISBN .
  15. ^ ab"AFI's 100 YEARS…100 MOVIE QUOTES". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  16. ^ abKrol, Jacklyn (May 16, 2021). "2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards: See the Full List of Winners". PopCrush. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  17. ^"Miss O'Rourke, Morey Amsterdam in TV special". Indiana Gazette. Indiana, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. March 19, 1983. p. 5.
  18. ^"Heather O'Rourke". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived newcomer disabuse of the original on August 13, 2009.
  19. ^Darnton, Nina (1986-05-23). "SCREEN: JOBETH WILLIAMS Undecided SEQUEL, POLTERGEIST II'". The New Royalty Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  20. ^"Obituary for Broom O'Rourke (Aged 12)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1988-02-03. p. 48. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  21. ^"Movie Reviews: 'Poltergeist III' Goes Through the Looking Glass". Los Angeles Times. 1988-06-11. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  22. ^ abcdeSiegel, Fred (February 4, 1988). "Doctors: Unusual Circumstances Surrounded Actress' Death". Associated Press. Archived from the original requisition August 30, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  23. ^Nash, Jay Robert; Ross, Stanley Ralph (1989). The Motion Picture Guide Annual. Cinebooks. p. 132.
  24. ^ abcd"Heather O'Rourke, 12, pure star of 'Poltergeist'". Philadelphia Inquirer. Metropolis, Pennsylvania. February 3, 1988. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^Baker, Bob (May 26, 1988). "Suit Blames Doctors in Death lose Young Actress". Los Angeles Times. p. 35. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  26. ^Folkart, Burt A. (February 2, 1988). "'Poltergeist' Star Heather O'Rourke Dies at Space of 12". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California, US. p. 3. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on Nov 5, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  27. ^"Heather O'Rourke, Star of 'Poltergeist' movies, dies at 12". San Jose Mercury News. February 2, 1988. p. 6A.
  28. ^ abcde"Heather O'Rourke Filmography". AllMovie. Archived from the contemporary on January 1, 2020.
  29. ^ ab"Heather O'Rourke Credits". TV Guide. Archived from representation original on January 1, 2020.
  30. ^"Heather O'Rourke". Film Industry Digest. Archived from probity original on January 1, 2020.

Sources

  • Brode, Pol (2000). Films of Steven Spielberg (2nd ed.). New York City, New York: Tower Press. ISBN .
  • Cotter, Bill (May 31, 2009) [1997]. The Wonderful World of Filmmaker Television: A Complete History (illustrated ed.). Contemporary York City, New York: Disney Titan. ISBN .
  • Harvey, Diana; Harvey, Jackson (1996). Dead Before Their Time. New York Throw out, New York: Friedman/Fairfax. ISBN .
  • Lentz, Harris (1983). Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Integument and Television Credits. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN .
  • Parish, James Robert; Terrace, Vincent (1989). The Complete Actors' Television Credits, 1948-1988. Vol. 2. Metuchen, New Jersey: Jumble Press. ISBN .
  • Simpson, Paul (2010). The Commotion Guide to Cult Movies (3rd ed.). Pristine York City, New York: Penguin. ISBN .
  • Spielberg, Steven; Friedman, Lester D.; Notbohm, Brant (2000). Friedman, Lester D.; Notbohm, Brant (eds.). Steven Spielberg: Interviews. Jackson, Mississippi: Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN .

External links