She had German, Danish, English, and Irish ancestry.Heather entered American cinematic pop-culture before first grade. Heather screamed until the windows rattled. Slightly concerned, Kathleen questioned Heather again about how she was feeling. The young actor played Carol-Anne Freeling in all three of Steven Spielberg's Poltergeist films and also had parts in popular TV shows Webster and Happy Days. First, 22-year old Dana actress Dominique Donne was killed in 1982; then even more infamously Carol Anne actress Heather O'Rourke passed away in 1988 aged just 12. . The initial examination had determined that Heather was in shock, but they also noticed that her stomach looked swollen and other signs of what strongly indicated a bowel obstruction. It didn't excite me, it didn't even scare me. Heather seemed confident about being able to do this and so together, they relayed back and forth, Spielberg giving lines and direction, and Heather following along. I'm really not afraid of spooky things. Drew Barrymore had auditioned, but Spielberg felt she wasnt quite right for that particular movie (he gave her a part in ET instead though, which launched her career) and so he kept on looking. The next day at the commissary, Spielberg told her and her family, "I don't know what it is about her, but she's got the job." Heathers response was Mom, I cant swallow. For this reason, she had a little difficulty remaining calm during some of the sequences involving special effects. Now on the verge of panic, Heathers mother held and comforted her daughter while Heathers stepfather dialed 911 for emergency services. However, the real cause of her death might be infinitely more disturbing: Hollywood depravity. Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego, to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke. Heather O'rourke Family and Relationship Father (Dad): Not Known Mother: Not Known Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): An elder sister Marital Status: Married Husband/Spouse: Married to Anonymous Dating / Boyfriend: Not Applicable Children: Two Heather O'rourke Networth and Salary Net Worth: Under Review Salary: $28,774 - $71,519 The response of audiences to her presence in the first film was so profound that the writers quickly realized she should be the focal point of the second movie as well. Loved: roses, swimming, pepperoni pizza, computer games, and more. Heather O'Rourke appeared destined for greatness after breaking through as a child star in the Poltergeist movies and on Happy Days in the 1980s. Tammy O'Rourke, her older sister, is also an actress. Still, she believes it was precisely this naivete that ultimately led her to beat out prominent actors, like Poltergeist star Heather O'Rourke, for the role of the Childlike Empress. Heather already had a small list of non-acting credits to her name. Heather also did not particularly care for the movie itself personally, but for her this was work and so she completed the role with her usual dedication and professionalism, which was something rarely seen in a nine-year-old actor. Poltergeist II, although not as successful as the first, did reasonably well at the box-office nonetheless. Born to a middle-class family, she attended Big Bear Elementary School. Unfortunately, the rising star met a tragic end at the young age of 12; she died of complications caused by a misdiagnosed intestinal stenosis. Early on, when they were still making their debut on the local talent circuit, their father was tolerant and even supportive of what they were doing since their activities did not dominate or disrupt family life, but as Tammy started filming Annie and Heather started filming Poltergeist at about the same time, it became apparent that even though he was proud of them, he did not want to share his family that much. Poltergeist is regarded O'Rourke studied at Big Bear Elementary School. She also loved to make and sweets. In one early collaboration, a genuine sister act, Tammy did a dance routine while Heather sang. I hope the Weinstein scandal of last year will be the beginning of the end of this . Her mother climbed into the cab for the short trip to the local emergency room. With this setup, they could tilt the entire room and camera and with fans blowing, make things look like they were being sucked into the closet by a spectral vacuum cleaner when in reality, objects were sliding by gravity towards the low end of the room. She died in Children's Hospital and Health Center in San Diego on February 1, 1988. The young actor played Carol-Anne Freeling in all three of Steven Spielberg's Poltergeist films and also had parts in popular TV shows Webster and Happy Days. On this particular day, Heather was sitting by herself waiting, as usual, for her mother and Tammy to return. Published 1 year ago on December 1, 2021 By Vigilant Citizen Facebook Twitter Subscribe Though neither of the actor/directors whom she admired went to film school themselves, Heather already had a plan to attend either USC or the rival UCLA to study directing and so working on this production would present a good opportunity for her to start developing her director skills. It is also not known if O'Rourke has any siblings. Ron Pennington, a spokesman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Heather O'Rourke had an undiagnosed birth defect Wikimedia Commons According to Heather O'Rourke's death certificate, she died from a tragic combination of an acute bowel obstruction, suspected septic shock, and cardio-respiratory arrest on February 1, 1988, just a few weeks after her 12th birthday. She remained alive but shortly after 2:00p.m., her condition began to worsen and soon after, her heartbeat faltered and her breathing stopped. Mala stariu sestru Tammy, ktor sa venovala tie herectvu. If she wasn't acting, she would have liked to have been a nurse. Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego, [3] [4] to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke. After her parents' divorce, O'Rourke rarely saw her birth father and called her stepfather "Dad". O'Rourke had an elder sister named Tammy, who was also an actress. Other non-acting TV appearances included: an afternoon on the 1986 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon where she took phone pledges as part of a panel of child actors, two stints as a celebrity judge on a special childrens edition of the popular amateur talent show called Puttin On The Hits, and as a guest on shows including The Merv Griffin Show, and various AM talk shows and PM entertainment shows. The shock prompted full cardiac and pulmonary arrest. Appeared on the doll box for Mattel's "My First Barbie" in 1980. This was not only convenient, but also proved to be providential because two years later Heathers next big role was playing herself in a made-for-TV special entitled: Believe You CanAnd You Can! The story revolved around Heather at Disneyland and would be filmed entirely on location. Amused and intrigued by her precociousness, the man then asked if he could he sit and wait with her. She was on medication throughout the filming of her next project, Poltergeist III (1988), and her cheeks were puffy in some scenes. She voiced her concerns to her doctor, who tried reassuring the young couple, but their happiness became heartbreak when Kathleen suddenly became ill and was rushed to the hospital, where an examination confirmed their worst fears; she had suffered a miscarriage. Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego, California, to Kathleen, a seamstress, and Michael O'Rourke, a construction worker. Still feeling the same several weeks after her last visit, she returned to her doctors office insisting that she was carrying a child and asked for another examination to be sure. The informant claims "the parents were told some crap story. Not quite satisfied, Spielberg asked her to scream again, but louder and longer this time. She also loved to make and eat sweets, and was the student-body president at her school. Heather O'Rourke. She was sitting alone in the MGM Commissary waiting for her mother when a . O'Rourke likes spending her free time with her husband . Egy nvre szletett, Tammy. With plenty of relatives living close-by, the ORourkes and their extended family enjoyed a typical and comfortable suburban existence. It was a terrible shock for their small household, especially for three-year-old Tammy ORourke, who couldnt quite understand why she was not going to have a new baby brother or sister that year. When they werent acting, Heather and Tammy also kept busy with plenty of other hobbies as well. O'Rourke, Heather . However, the surgery did not help and the little girl died later that day. Filming was eventually completed behind schedule in late 1985 and after rushed post-production, the movie premiered in May of the following year. But her mother was not convinced and again returned to San Diego when Heathers symptoms persisted despite taking the prescribed medications. Next day, again at lunch, Spielberg was back at their table and this time he sat and talked for a little while. The little actress never refused an autograph. The shock prompted full cardiac and pulmonary arrest. [on the first two Poltergeist movies]: The first one I saw 12 times. Their small house was on a quiet street located just two blocks away from Tammys elementary school and also close to playgrounds and parks where, on weekends, the ORourkes and their family, or friends, would often go to socialize, to watch or play sports, or to barbeque while the kids had fun just being kids. In 1984, their mother Kathy met and married a part-time truck-driver named Jim Peele who lived in the same mobile home park. Heather's parents, who live in Big Bear but are also believed to have a home in San Diego, were too distraught to comment, Wardlowe said. CDAN - Blind item #40 revealed . Further suspecting that the obstruction might have already burst and started an infection, they made preparations to transport her to another facility that specialized in pediatric critical care. When her mother returned, the stranger introduced himself as Steven Spielberg. Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in San Diego, California, USA, to Michael and Kathleen. In a strange and yet consistent coincidence, MGM, as with the original Poltergeist, was once again unable to entice the writer/producer/director team of Poltergeist II to do another sequel that soon, and so again scrambled to find someone to take the helm for the third film. This special baby, who almost never was, would be destined for much more than just an ordinary life; she would eventually charm her way into the minds and hearts of people throughout the world, and with the words theyre here, and the eerie image of her tiny silhouette and little hands upon a television screen, would become an indelible memory to an entire generation of horror movie fans. Hon var med i en del filmer samt reklamfilmer fr bland annat McDonald's och leksaksfretaget Mattel. In addition to that, Tammy was being tutored a few hours a day to keep up with her schoolwork. Heather Michele O'Rourke sinh ngy 27 thng 12 nm 1975 ti San Diego, [2] [3] con gi th hai ca Kathleen v Michael O'Rourke. Culkin was interviewed by a french magazine this late december of 2017. In the years that followed, Heather was a familiar face on TV in Happy Days (1974) (1982-1983), Webster (1983) (1983-1984), and The New Leave It to Beaver (1983) (1986-1987), three shows in which she had recurring roles. The film, which was released in 1982, made her an instant child star. Her parents divorced in 1981, and O'Rourke's mother married part-time truck driver Jim Peele in 1984, while . At this point Kathleen became very concerned and took a closer look at her daughter. The local doctor in Big Bear said that it was winter, they lived in the mountains, it was, after all, cold and flu season, and Heathers symptoms seemed to be flu-like. Heather O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975, in San Diego, California, to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke. The audition lasted practically all day as more than 350 kids danced their hearts out but when the dust settled, only ten of them were left standing. Since they had already been staying there most of the week, the physical transition between old home life and new was eased somewhat, and so Tammy and Heather coped with the emotional stress by getting on with their lives and engrossing themselves in their acting. She had an older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also an actress. Said that if a Poltergeist IV would to happen it would have been her last film in the series. | Heather O'Rourke was the child actress made famous by Poltergeist, directed by Steven Speilberg . Spielberg promptly cast her in the horror film Poltergeist (1982) as Carol Anne Freeling, and O'Rourke earned recognition for her performance. They finally decided upon a road trip and so Heathers stepfather Jim Peele, also a part-time truck driver, drove Heather and her mother in the tractor of his semi-trailer rig from Chicago to Disney World in Florida and back across the southeastern United States, finally arriving in California at the end of August. More information about her husband will be updated as soon as possible. They had a lengthy segment on heather where they interviewed her parents. O'Rourke was the student-body president in her elementary school as well. Born in San Diego, California, she was discovered in 1980 by director Steven Spielberg, while eating lunch with her mother in the MGM Studio Commissary. Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego, California, to Kathleen, a seamstress, and Michael O'Rourke, a construction worker. This caused countless parents to believe that the movie was OK for children to watch. Heather played the character Carol-Anna Freeling in all three of Steven Spielberg's Poltergeist films. Heather was well until January 31, 1988, Super Bowl Sunday. Heather spent much of her early life growing up east of San Diego in Santee, a small town with a pioneer history. After Heather moved to Big Bear, she continued to work steadily but her acting always revolved around her home life. The most well-known death that sparked and fuels the " Poltergeist curse" fire to this day was the shocking loss of Heather O' Rourke, who played Carol Ann the young, angelic face of the. She is a member of famous Actress with the age 13 years old group. But according to her mother Kathy, shopping with Heather was a tremendous effort. Ranked #65 on VH1's '100 Greatest Kid Actors' special. . To be able to do this though, they would have to look outside of San Diego and so she and her mother (with Heather in tow) began to make regular trips to the Los Angeles area for auditions and tryouts. Cha m c b ly d nm 1981 v m ca Heather kt hn vi ti x xe ti Jim Peele vo nm 1984. A year later, she appeared in Poltergeist III, the third installment of the Poltergeist film series. After Heather was born, Tammy continued with classes and performances until her teacher took her mother aside one day and said that she was good enough to consider her dancing not just a hobby, but a serious talent that could be developed. Her career as a child actress enabled her to earn a decent amount of money. In September of 1987, Heather started 7th grade at Tierra del Sol Middle School in Lakeside and gradually settled back into a typical life of family, friends, and school. She made more toy commercials, several made-for-TV movies/specials such as Massarati and the Brain, Believe You Can, And You Can, and Surviving: A Family in Crisis, and had guest appearances on a string of the most popular primetime and syndicated shows from the 1980s such as CHiPs, Webster, Matt Houston, Finder of Lost Loves, Our House, The New Leave It To Beaver, the short-lived series Rocky Road, and lastly, Here to Stay, an unsold television pilot. Heather prefers to keep details about her spouse and family members private. Ever since completing the first Poltergeist, Heather had marveled about its success to her agent and so was not totally taken by surprise when he contacted her about reprising her role in a sequel so soon after the original. Heather had been Ill before we started shooting and her parents had been taking her to doctors. O'Rourke suffered from giardiasis in 1987 and was later diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She died in 1988 at the age of 12 from intestinal stenosis - a severe bowel obstruction. But the first time you see it, it really jumps you. But the unnatural movement of the bedroom-set startled Heather and the wire-harness was very uncomfortable, not to mention the huge special effects fans, which constantly blew air in her face and ears for long periods of time, wearing away at her patience. The NeverEnding Story was released in 1984, five years after the German novel upon which it is based. I wonder who the studio suit actually is, the one who murdered this young girl, mostly known for her role as Carol Anne in the Poltergeist movies. It was not permanent though, or at least was not originally intended to be, but that was all to change shortly thereafter because it was during this period, while Tammy was filming Pennies from Heaven, that Heathers official discovery occurred. When Heather returned home from school one afternoon with swelling in her lower legs and feet, her mother decided that this was not something to be taken lightly and so drove Heather all the way to San Diego for an examination by her usual doctors. The only unanswered questions were, could she act, and more importantly, could she scream convincingly? This website is dedicated to the life and memory of child actress Heather ORourke. She would have graduated in 1989. When Poltergeist was released in June of 1982, movie audiences and die-hard Spielberg fans alike were not disappointed, but its box office draw was soon eclipsed by Spielbergs other summer film release, the kiddie oriented E.T.. Her mother called out to her, and Heather came into their room and crawled into bed with them for a few hours. Since Heather was in the habit of imitating her older sister, it was natural to expect that she would follow in her footsteps and so when she was barely old enough, Heather began showcasing her own talents with some onstage singing and dancing. While posing shirtless in his bathroom, Sam slicked back his hair with his hand and showed off his shaven chin. . Her father was a carpenter, and her mother was a seamstress. [19] On January 31, 1988, O'Rourke suddenly became ill again, vomiting and unable to keep anything in her stomach. Of all her achievements, Heather was proudest of being elected student body president of her 5th grade class in 1985. Heather was born on December 27, 1975, to Kathleen and Michael O'Rourke. Aside from her TV and movie roles, she was, at heart, a regular kid who loved school, performed household chores, quarreled with her sister, and lived for shopping. Heather died Feb. 1 on the operating table at Children's Hospital of San Diego. Heather O'Rourke's death at the age of 12 is well-documented because of a medical malpractice lawsuit her parents filed against her doctors for misdiagnosing the condition blamed for her death. I hope to do a different character some day. Heather stands at an average height and in moderate weight. O'Rourke died at the age of 12 of cardiac arrest and septic shock caused by a misdiagnosed intestinal stenosis on 1 February 1988. . About Latest Posts She never complained during filming and did not appear sick to fellow cast members.When filming was completed in June, Heather and her family went on a road trip from Chicago, to New Orleans, to Orlando and all the way back to Lakeside where they lived at the time. But Heather was mostly a homebody and preferred her quieter hobbies like reading, writing in her journals, collecting Cabbage Patch and other dolls, sewing, and baking (and eating) cakes, pies, and other sweets with her mother. The obstruction caused an infection that, in turn, brought on septic shock. Heather O'Rourke's Parents and Siblings. You meet a lot of people. While her family was initially too distraught to make a statement, after. With her mothers permission, doctors performed an exploratory procedure and promptly discovered that Heather indeed had an obstruction in her small intestine that had become infected and had already burst. Heather died in 1988. Further details regarding her family background will be updated soon when disclosed. In between TV appearances she would go on to film Poltergeist II and ultimately Poltergeist III, reprising her now famous character Carol Anne in both films. I'd been thinking about it for a while. Some of her lesser known creative talents were calligraphy, drawing, baking, singing, and dancing. During the month that followed, Kathleen recovered emotionally somewhat but continued to feel all the normal symptoms, and still show some signs, of being pregnant. Later, that same year, the new family decided to leave Anaheim and move to the city of Big Bear Lake, located high in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. She had an older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also an actress. The little actress was a keen shopper. The show premiered in March 1980 and lasted until September 1981, and the experience and the exposure on national television helped boost Tammys fledgling career as a dancer. The agent handling Tammys career recognized this as well and offered to represent Heather, and so soon enough, the photogenic 4-year-old starting getting some exposure. 95 8 1 Pepperann. O'Rourke became ill in early 1987 and was misdiagnosed by doctors at Kaiser Permanente Hospital as having Crohn's disease. The following three years that Heather, Tammy, and their mother Kathy lived in Anaheim would be a bit of struggle for them and yet, the girls had adapted remarkably well to their new lives and surroundings and were very happy. If there is a sequel, a 'Poltergeist IV,' I hope it's the last. Celia Foster, Other Works When she told her doctor, he assured her that the condition would pass but as a precaution, suggested that she have a procedure to remedy what might be the cause. When the paramedics came in, Heather insisted that she was "really okay" and was worried about missing school that day. She started with tap lessons, and liked it so much that after a short time began performing in little recitals with her class. After a few more featured appearances in some of Heathers shows, Tammy would retire from acting for good. But in . After her parents' divorce, O'Rourke rarely saw her birth father and called her stepfather "Dad". She had an older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also an actress. Heather O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 - February 1, 1988) played the recurring role of Heather Pfister, the 7-year-old daughter of Ashley Pfister, a divorcee who was Fonzie's steady girlfriend in Season 10 of Happy Days, appearing in five episodes that season. To the surprise and delight of everyone, it showed that she was indeed still pregnant, though when they found out how and why, the discovery itself was not without some sadness. Kathleen called the doctor's and was getting ready to put her clothes on when Heather fainted on the kitchen floor. They gently placed her onto a gurney and loaded her into the back of the ambulance. Her last words were "I love you" to her mother. Born in San Diego, California, she was discovered in 1980 by director Steven Spielberg, while eating lunch with her mother in the MGM Studio Commissary. He has managed to keep his family away from the media. A couple of years ago, I decided it would be a different experience to work behind the camera. Heather O'rourke Husband ,Married and Children Heather is a married woman. Kathleen had actually conceived twins, a boy and a girl, and it was the boy who had been miscarried. May 25, 1988. Heather O'Rourke 1975. december 27-n ltta meg a napvilgot San Diegban Kathleen s Michael O'Rourke gyermekeknt. Sees candies, which were not normally available in Big Bear, were the featured sale item as well as hot chocolate and a few other goodies. Their family was proud of their talents and the girls even became a little famous locally, but to Tammy and Heather, it was all a normal everyday thing and they were really just a couple of kids having a lot of fun. She had appeared in ads and on packaging for Mattel toys including one of the Barbie dolls, but with an agent who represented actors, now she would be auditioning for acting roles, in addition to appearing in restaurant commercials for McDonalds and later, Long John Silvers. With the room tilted on its side, objects would be literally falling into the closet and finally Heather herself, appearing to be holding horizontally onto the headboard of her bed (but actually vertically suspended by a cable on the ceiling about 30 ft. above the floor) would be raised into the closet, also appearing to be sucked in. Well, after you see it a lot of times, it isn't so much. By the end of summer, they had completed their relocation back to East San Diego County, settling in Lakeside, which was very close to Santee. She was still taking these medicines while filming Poltergeist III in Chicago and the side effects altered her appearance noticeably as the production progressed. But, like any other young girl her age she most of all, loved the occasional all-day shopping excursion, which at times, was exhausting for her mother and sister Tammy. On her mothers advice, Heather accepted and was cast in the movie. Details about O'rourke's husband are not available currently. She did not improve and so her mother took her to San Diego again. When MGM started the Pennies from Heaven production in the summer of 1980, rehearsing and filming was several days a week beginning early in the morning and often lasting all day long. C b c mt ch gi, Tammy O'Rourke, cng l mt din vin. Still the cautious mother that she was, Kathleen took Heather back to San Diego for several more thorough follow-up examinations before leaving for Chicago in April to start filming Poltergeist III. Was an avid reader; her former 7th Grade English teacher honors this passion of hers by making all her students observe what she calls "Heather O'Rourke Love of Reading Week"; the last book she was reading was "Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl". Heathers response was that she was feeling a little sick, but assured them that she was all right. That is when she found out she was pregnant with Heather. Heather O'Rourke made a guest appearance on "CHiPs" in "Fun House" as Lindsey.. Heather O'Rourke's unexpected death in 1988 at the age of 12 sent shock waves across the entertainment industry. She was prescribed prednisone to treat the disease, which caused her cheeks to appear puffy and large. She died during surgery in 1988 after being misdiagnosed with Crohn's disease. Scream again, but assured them that she was n't acting, Heather accepted was... 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