How old was C. Thomas Howell in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?

Curiosity about a celebrity’s age during filming is more common than you’d think. That knowledge can reshape how we view their performance. We’re about to uncover that piece of the puzzle.

While E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was being made, C. Thomas Howell was:

15 years old

After checking the dates, that’s the calculated age of the celebrity.

Our method involved using the first calendar day of the release year of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial:

January 1, 1982

And the date of birth of C. Thomas Howell:

December 07, 1966

As films generally take less than a year from filming to release, the age of C. Thomas Howell during production could differ by a year from what’s shown.