As the summer movie season comes to a close, it's time to reflect upon the young people from summer blockbusters past. Specifically, what about the kids from Steven Spielberg's "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," the smash hit of the summer of 1982 and one of the biggest movies of all time? 
Unless you've been living on another planet, only communicating with Earth via Speak-n-Spell, then surely you know what happened to Drew Barrymore, who went from rich to rehab to rich again. (And kudos to her for that.) Henry Thomas, who played Elliott, also continues to act; you may have spotted him in "Gangs of New York," "I Capture the Castle" or a couple of episodes of "Without a Trace." But what about Robert MacNaughton, who co-starred as Elliott's older brother, Michael? Whatever happened to that guy?
After "E.T." the then-16-year-old snagged a few more parts, including a starring role in the adaptation of the young adult novel "I Am the Cheese." Hollywood opportunities started to dry up, so he pursued a career in theater. But that didn't take off either. As of a few years ago, according to this USA Today piece, he was living in Phoenix and working as a mail handler for the U.S. Postal Service. Wikipedia and imdb both say he married his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Butler, and that the couple has a son together.
I couldn't find any information more recent than these 2002 reports, so please feel free to update me and our readers in the comments section if you have new details.
If MacNaughton, seen in a semi-recent photo below, is bitter about leaving acting, it certainly doesn't seem that way. When he appeared with his fellow "E.T." cast members for a reunion special a few years ago, he seemed happy and perfectly comfortable reminiscing about his days with the Reese's Pieces-munching alien.
Whether he's still with the Postal Service or doing something totally different, we want MacNaughton to know: We'll be right here.
Rich or Rehab appears on Strollerderby every Tuesday morning.
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