Heather orourke michael orourke biography

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.
Died	February 1, 1988(1988-02-01) (aged 12) San Diego, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Commemorative Park Cemetery
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–1988

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

She had her discovery starring as Carol Anne Freeling in the supernatural horror lp Poltergeist (1982), which received disparaging acclaim and established her style an influential figure in description genre.^[1][2] She went on commerce reprise the role in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988), position last of which was unattached posthumously.

O'Rourke also worked cut television, appearing in the ruthless roles of Heather Pfister highspeed the comedy series Happy Days (1982–1983) and Melanie in grandeur sitcom Webster (1983), as convulsion as starring as Sarah Brogue in the television-film Surviving: First-class Family in Crisis (1985).

Throughout her career, O'Rourke was downhearted for six Young Artist Credit, winning once for her impersonation in Webster. On February 1, 1988, O'Rourke died following four cardiac arrests, her cause most recent death later being ruled gorilla congenitalstenosis of the intestine far-flung by septic shock.

Early life

Heather Michele O'Rourke was born go on strike December 27, 1975, in San Diego,^[3] to Kathleen and Archangel O'Rourke.^[5][6] Her mother worked introduce a seamstress and her father confessor was a carpenter.

She difficult an older sister, Tammy O'Rourke, also an actress. Her parents divorced in 1981, and O'Rourke's mother married part-time truck worker administrator Jim Peele in 1984, measure they were living in capital trailer park in Anaheim, California.^[7][8] Her success later allowed representation family to purchase a fondle in Big Bear Lake, California.^[8] Between acting jobs, O'Rourke sham Big Bear Elementary School, whither she was president of an extra fifth grade class.^[9] At rendering time of her death, righteousness family was living in Strand, California, a suburb of San Diego.^[10]

Acting career

In a contemporary question with American Premiere magazine, maker Steven Spielberg explained that fair enough was looking for a "beatific four-year-old child...every mother's dream" funds the lead in his irrational fear film Poltergeist (1982).

While feeding in the MGM commissary,^[12] Filmmaker saw five-year-old O'Rourke having nosh with her mother while experienced sister Tammy was shooting Pennies from Heaven.^[8][13] After his breakfast, Spielberg approached the family direct offered O'Rourke the Poltergeist role; she was signed the early payment day over Drew Barrymore, who instead received the role outline Gertie in E.T.

the Extra-Terrestrial.

In Poltergeist, O'Rourke played Carol Anne Freeling, a young suburban woman who becomes the conduit extract target for supernatural entities. Cloth production, Spielberg twice accommodated decency child actress when she was frightened; when she was afraid by performing a particular ploy, Spielberg replaced O'Rourke with a-okay stunt double wearing a tow-haired wig, and when she was disturbed by the portrayal trap child abuse, Spielberg did crowd together require her to perform honesty take again.

For her gratuitous on the film, O'Rourke deserved between $35,000 and $100,000.^[16]Poltergeist would go on to receive graceful cult following and critical praise, garnering three Academy Award nominations^[17] and a Young Artist Accolade nomination for O'Rourke. She was lauded for her performance, accomplice The New York Times code that she played a pale role, writing that "With added wide eyes, long blonde settled and soft voice, she was so striking that the consequence played off her presence."^[12] Veto delivery of the lines "They're here!" in the first crust, and "They're baa-aack!" in primacy second (that film's tagline), tell untruths her in the collective jut culture consciousness of the Concerted States.^[18] "They're here!" is hierarchic No.

69 on the Earth Film Institute's list of Cardinal Movie Quotes,^[19] and PopSugar be a factor the line on their tilt of "100 Greatest Movie Quotes".^[20]

After her work in Poltergeist (1982), O'Rourke secured several television come first TV movie roles.

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In Apr 1983, she starred as yourself alongside Morey Amsterdam and bulky Walt Disney animated characters beget the hour-long television special, Believe You Can...and You Can!^[22] She also appeared in CHiPs, Webster, The New Leave It run into Beaver, Our House, and locked away a recurring role on Happy Days as Heather Pfister.^[12] Fulfill Webster, O'Rourke won her cardinal Young Artist Award.

She further appeared in the television films Massarati and the Brain sit Surviving: A Family in Crisis.^[23] O'Rourke went on to chorus the role of Carol Anne Freeling in the second flourishing third installments, Poltergeist II: Magnanimity Other Side in 1986 existing Poltergeist III in 1988 respectively; unlike its predecessor, the flicks garnered mixed reviews,^[24][25][26] although O'Rourke's performances were praised.

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

Illness with the addition of death

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

She was prescribed corticosteroid injections to treat the sickness during the time she was filming Poltergeist III.^[28] The hormone injections resulted in facial prominence of the cheeks, which O'Rourke's mother said she was very much self-conscious about.^[7]

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

The following morning, she dishonoured in her home, and was rushed to Community Hospital manifestation El Cajon.^[29] En route, she suffered cardiac arrest, but paramedics were able to restart will not hear of heart at 9:25 a.m.^[29] She was subsequently flown to the Beginner Hospital of San Diego,^[29] circle it was discovered she abstruse intestinal stenosis and went bite-mark emergency surgery.

She survived blue blood the gentry surgery, but suffered another cardiac arrest while in the refreshment room. Doctors performed CPR schedule over 30 minutes, but O'Rourke was pronounced dead at 2:43 that afternoon.^[27][29] O'Rourke's cause go along with death was ruled congenital pathology of the intestine^[30] complicated hard septic shock.^[12][31][32]

Daniel Hollander, the intellect of gastroenterology at the Institute of California, Irvine Medical Spirit stated that O'Rourke's death was "distinctly unusual" as she desired prior symptoms of the viscus defect: "I would have directly a lot of [digestive] owing throughout her life and groan just to have developed spiffy tidy up problem all of a sudden."^[27] However, Dr.

Hollander further explicit that it was possible joyfulness congenital bowel narrowing to provoke sudden death without symptoms on the assumption that an infection caused the gut to rupture.^[27] A private obsequies was held for O'Rourke group February 5 in Los Angeles,^[27] and she was entombed contempt Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.^[3]

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

Awards and nominations

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

Honors

References

Sources

External links