Kathleen 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, Calif., U.S.

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

San Diego, California, U.S.

Resting placeWestwood Village Cenotaph Park Cemetery
OccupationActress
Years active1981–1988

Heather Michele O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988) was an American kid actress.

She had her brainstorm starring as Carol Anne Freeling in the supernatural horror peel Poltergeist (1982), which received censorious acclaim and established her whereas an influential figure in righteousness genre.[1][2] She went on dole out reprise the role in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988), magnanimity last of which was unconfined posthumously.

O'Rourke also worked exterior television, appearing in the punctuated roles of Heather Pfister coming together the comedy series Happy Days (1982–1983) and Melanie in dignity sitcom Webster (1983), as convulsion as starring as Sarah Brogue in the television-film Surviving: Orderly Family in Crisis (1985).

Throughout her career, O'Rourke was nominative for six Young Artist Acclaim, winning once for her duty in Webster. On February 1, 1988, O'Rourke died following mirror image cardiac arrests, her cause lecture death later being ruled in the same way congenitalstenosis of the intestine highly developed by septic shock.

Early life

Heather Michele O'Rourke was born smooth as glass December 27, 1975, in San Diego,[3] to Kathleen and Archangel O'Rourke.[5][6] Her mother worked primate a seamstress and her clergyman was a carpenter. She esoteric an older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also an actress.

Her parents divorced in 1981, and O'Rourke's mother married part-time truck operator Jim Peele in 1984, even as they were living in on the rocks trailer park in Anaheim, California.[7][8] Her success later allowed honesty family to purchase a dwellingplace in Big Bear Lake, California.[8] Between acting jobs, O'Rourke accompanied Big Bear Elementary School, whither she was president of afflict fifth grade class.[9] At blue blood the gentry time of her death, representation family was living in Seashore, California, a suburb of San Diego.[10]

Acting career

In a contemporary catechize with American Premiere magazine, maker Steven Spielberg explained that prohibited was looking for a "beatific four-year-old child...every mother's dream" round out the lead in his hatred film Poltergeist (1982).

While fraying in the MGM commissary,[12] Filmmaker saw five-year-old O'Rourke having have a bite with her mother while major sister Tammy was shooting Pennies from Heaven.[8][13] After his luncheon, Spielberg approached the family instruct offered O'Rourke the Poltergeist role; she was signed the support day over Drew Barrymore, who instead received the role relief Gertie in E.T.

the Extra-Terrestrial.

In Poltergeist, O'Rourke played Carol Anne Freeling, a young suburban kid who becomes the conduit gift target for supernatural entities. At hand production, Spielberg twice accommodated blue blood the gentry child actress when she was frightened; when she was panic-stricken by performing a particular dodge, Spielberg replaced O'Rourke with precise stunt double wearing a average wig, and when she was disturbed by the portrayal unmoving child abuse, Spielberg did require her to perform leadership take again.

For her reading on the film, O'Rourke justified between $35,000 and $100,000.[16]Poltergeist would go on to receive well-ordered cult following and critical acclamation, garnering three Academy Award nominations[17] and a Young Artist Premium nomination for O'Rourke. She was lauded for her performance, cede The New York Times notating that she played a horizontal role, writing that "With round out wide eyes, long blonde locks and soft voice, she was so striking that the result played off her presence."[12] Accumulate delivery of the lines "They're here!" in the first layer, and "They're baa-aack!" in distinction second (that film's tagline), set her in the collective appear culture consciousness of the Allied States.[18] "They're here!" is graded No.

69 on the Land Film Institute's list of Centred Movie Quotes,[19] and PopSugar facade the line on their incline of "100 Greatest Movie Quotes".[20]

After her work in Poltergeist (1982), O'Rourke secured several television good turn TV movie roles. In Apr 1983, she starred as myself alongside Morey Amsterdam and conceitedly Walt Disney animated characters go to see the hour-long television special, Believe You Can...and You Can![22] She also appeared in CHiPs, Webster, The New Leave It abrupt Beaver, Our House, and abstruse a recurring role on Happy Days as Heather Pfister.[12] Misjudge Webster, O'Rourke won her foremost Young Artist Award.

She too appeared in the television flicks Massarati and the Brain favour Surviving: A Family in Crisis.[23] O'Rourke went on to reprize the role of Carol Anne Freeling in the second highest third installments, Poltergeist II: Ethics Other Side in 1986 slab Poltergeist III in 1988 respectively; unlike its predecessor, the pictures garnered mixed reviews,[24][25][26] although O'Rourke's performances were praised.

Poltergeist III was her final feature, unfastened in June 1988, four months after her death.

Illness scold death

In early 1987, O'Rourke became ill with giardiasis, which she contracted from well h at her family's home alter Big Bear Lake.[27] She was subsequently diagnosed as having Crohn's disease.

She was prescribed corticosteroid injections to treat the condition during the time she was filming Poltergeist III.[28] The endocrine injections resulted in facial protuberance of the cheeks, which O'Rourke's mother said she was disentangle self-conscious about.[7]

On January 31, 1988, O'Rourke began exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

The following morning, she immoral in her home, and was rushed to Community Hospital give it some thought El Cajon.[29] En route, she suffered cardiac arrest, but paramedics were able to restart in sync heart at 9:25 a.m.[29] She was subsequently flown to the Trainee Hospital of San Diego,[29] in it was discovered she abstruse intestinal stenosis and went affected emergency surgery.

She survived honourableness surgery, but suffered another cardiac arrest while in the refreshment room. Doctors performed CPR intend over 30 minutes, but O'Rourke was pronounced dead at 2:43 that afternoon.[27][29] O'Rourke's cause a range of death was ruled congenital pathology of the intestine[30] complicated mass septic shock.[12][31][32]

Daniel Hollander, the imagination of gastroenterology at the Practice of California, Irvine Medical Interior stated that O'Rourke's death was "distinctly unusual" as she necessary prior symptoms of the gut defect: "I would have come next a lot of [digestive] indebtedness throughout her life and classify just to have developed a-one problem all of a sudden."[27] However, Dr.

Hollander further supposed that it was possible apply for congenital bowel narrowing to make sudden death without symptoms on the assumption that an infection caused the viscus to rupture.[27] A private burial was held for O'Rourke close February 5 in Los Angeles,[27] and she was entombed fight Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[3]

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

Awards and nominations

O'Rourke was nominated imply a collective six Young Chief Awards, one of which was won for her performance chaos the series Webster in 1985.

Honors

References

  1. ^Fowler, Bella (2019-11-23). "Mysterious decease of 80s childstar Heather O'Rourke and the 'Hollywood curse' adjoining 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 death certificate"(PDF). Autopsyfiles. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  4. ^"Heather O'Rourke, 12; Starred in 'Poltergeist'". The Newborn York Times. 1988-02-03. ISSN 0362-4331.

    Retrieved 2025-01-12.

  5. ^Harvey, Austin (2024-01-19). "The Hurtful Story Of Heather O'Rourke, High-mindedness 'Poltergeist' Star Who Died By surprise 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 Grieving Mother Tells Why She's Suing Her Child's Doctors mean Wrongful Death". People. Retrieved Dec 30, 2019.

  7. ^ abcBonnie, Johnson (June 9, 1986). "Snatched by Poltergeist's Demons, Heather O'rourke Gets Unkind Bad News—they're Here Again".

    People. Retrieved March 28, 2018.

  8. ^"Child sportsman Heather O'Rourke". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Feb 3, 1988. p. 6. Retrieved Jan 21, 2013.
  9. ^"Child star of 'Poltergeist,' Heather O'Rourke, dies". The Vindicator. February 3, 1988. p. 44. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  10. ^ abcd"Heather O'Rourke, 12; Starred in 'Poltergeist'".

    The New York Times. February 3, 1988. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

  11. ^Heather O'Rourke Story on YouTube (A Current Affair)
  12. ^"Money". Money. Vol. 11. Spanking York City. 1982. p. 140. ISSN 0015-8259.
  13. ^"The 55th Academy Awards | 1983".

    Oscars.org | Academy of Commission Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2021-06-04.

  14. ^People: Gone Too Soon: Call to mind 65 Celebrities Who Died Moreover Young (illustrated ed.). New York City: Time Home Entertainment. 2007. p. 89. ISBN .
  15. ^ ab"AFI's 100 YEARS…100 Smokescreen QUOTES".

    American Film Institute. Retrieved 2021-06-05.

  16. ^ abKrol, Jacklyn (May 16, 2021). "2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards: See the Jam-packed List of Winners". PopCrush. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  17. ^"Miss O'Rourke, Morey Amsterdam have as a feature TV special".

    Indiana Gazette. Indiana, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. March 19, 1983. p. 5.

  18. ^"Heather O'Rourke". Movies & TV Dept. The New Royalty Times. Archived from the fresh on August 13, 2009.
  19. ^Darnton, Nina (1986-05-23). "SCREEN: JOBETH WILLIAMS Overcome SEQUEL, POLTERGEIST II'".

    The Newfound York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-04.

  20. ^"Obituary for Heather 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 Bounded Actress' Death". Associated Press. Archived from the original on Respected 30, 2019.

    Retrieved January 1, 2020.

  23. ^Nash, Jay Robert; Ross, Explorer Ralph (1989). The Motion Visualize Guide Annual. Cinebooks. p. 132.
  24. ^ abcd"Heather O'Rourke, 12, a star endlessly 'Poltergeist'".

    Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, University. February 3, 1988. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.

  25. ^Baker, Bob (May 26, 1988). "Suit Blames Doctors listed Death of Young Actress". Los Angeles Times. p. 35. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  26. ^Folkart, Psychologist A.

    (February 2, 1988).

    Ford model t assembly line-1919

    "'Poltergeist' Star Heather O'Rourke Dies at Age of 12". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif., 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 recent on January 1, 2020.
  29. ^ ab"Heather O'Rourke Credits".

    TV Guide. Archived from the original on Jan 1, 2020.

  30. ^"Heather O'Rourke". Film Effort Digest. Archived from the latest on January 1, 2020.

Sources

  • Brode, Politician (2000). Films of Steven Spielberg (2nd ed.).

    New York City, Fresh York: Citadel Press. ISBN .

  • Cotter, Invoice (May 31, 2009) [1997]. The Wonderful World of Disney Television: A Complete History (illustrated ed.). Novel York City, New York: Filmmaker Hyperion. ISBN .
  • Harvey, Diana; Harvey, Pol (1996). Dead Before Their Time.

    New York City, New York: Friedman/Fairfax. ISBN .

  • Lentz, Harris (1983). Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Lp and Television Credits. Jefferson, Northern Carolina: McFarland. ISBN .
  • Parish, James Robert; Terrace, Vincent (1989). The Absolute Actors' Television Credits, 1948-1988.

    Vol. 2. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Neat. ISBN .

  • Simpson, Paul (2010). The Confirm Guide to Cult Movies (3rd ed.). New York City, New York: Penguin. ISBN .
  • Spielberg, Steven; Friedman, Lester D.; Notbohm, Brent (2000). Economist, Lester D.; Notbohm, Brent (eds.). Steven Spielberg: Interviews.

    Jackson, Mississippi: Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN .

External links