E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a classic sci-fi film directed by Steven Spielberg and was a huge box office success in 1982. E.T. tells the story of a young boy named Elliot and his unusual friendship with an alien who’s lost and searching for a way home. The film used cutting-edge technology and unusual tricks to make the impressive result, taking home 4 Academy Awards. Although state-of-the-art animatronics were used for the beloved alien’s puppets, the majority of E.T.’s voice was provided by an elderly California woman who smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Pat Welsh had just the voice quality Spielberg was looking for. Amazingly, Welsh only received $380 for her services, which was almost 10 hours of recording for the film and her role was uncredited. Believe it or not, $37 an hour is the going rate in 2022 for a voice actor, which is truly surprising.
