Bio
Henry Thomas is an American actor, former child star and musician best known for his starring role as Elliott Taylor in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
He also has a starring role as T.J. Karsten, Thatcher Karsten's slightly brain-damaged, kind-hearted son who finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation, in the television drama series Betrayal.
Thomas has developed an extensive and diverse list of film and television credits. He is best remembered for the role of Elliott, the young boy opposite the famous extra-terrestrial in Steven Spielberg's E.T. Thomas' performance earned him several award nominations such as a Golden Globe, Saturn Award and BAFTA nominations in 1983, as well as winning him a Young Artist Award for Best Young Motion Picture Actor in 1983.
He was also nominated for a 1995 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Made for TV Movie for his performance as Ray Buckey in HBO's Indictment: The McMartin Trial.
Thomas starred as the legendary Hank Williams in Mozark Productions' independent film, The Last Ride, opposite Jesse James and Kaley Cuoco, released in June 2013. He also stars in Michael Polish's Jack Kerouac biopic, Big Sur, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, appearing alongside Josh Lucas, Kate Bosworth and Radha Mitchell.
Thomas started his film career with the role of Harry in Universal's Raggedy Man, and since then has done studio films like Relativity's Dear John, Universal's Cloak & Dagger, All the Pretty Horses, opposite Matt Damon, Legends of the Fall, with Brad Pitt, as well as Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York.
Independent features include Don't Look Up, Red Velvet, Suicide Kings, Niagara, Niagara, Dead Birds and The Legend of Hell's Gate.
Although most of his work has been on the big screen, Thomas has guest starred on several hit television shows such as The Mentalist, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Without a Trace, and starred in the television movies Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Riders of the Purple Sage and Pyscho IV: The Beginning, as young Norman Bates.
Also a musician, Thomas plays the guitar, sings and writes music. He famously was part of the Texas band The Blue Heelers from the mid to late '90s.
He currently resides in Los Angeles.