Child Actress. She is best remembered for her roles of 'Carol Anne Freeling' in the "Poltergeist" horror movie franchise (1982, 1986, and 1988). 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. Spielberg was looking for a six-year-old to play the part of Carol Anne in his upcoming movie, "Poltergeist" and hired her after an interview and a "scream test." Very quickly, her line "They're here…", entered the popular American vocabulary, and she became an instant star. When "Poltergeist II" (1986) was released, her tag line "They're back…" was used as part of the advertisement for the film, and again, quickly caught on to become another popular American phrase. Between films, she showed up in such television shows as Fantasy Island, Webster, CHiPs, Happy Days, and the New Leave It to Beaver. Although she achieved much fame and instant recognition in her Poltergeist roles, she never let it go to her head, and was always friendly to her classmates, never refusing to give her autograph. A straight-A student who studied hard, she loved to read, and liked calligraphy and drawing. She also showed an amazing ability to memorize, and often showed up on sets with all of the lines fully memorized. In later interviews, she confessed that she planned on going to UCLA to major in filmmaking, and to become a film director. Of her many achievements, Heather stated that she was proudest of being elected student body president of her 5th grade class in 1985.
Child Actress. She is best remembered for her roles of 'Carol Anne Freeling' in the "Poltergeist" horror movie franchise (1982, 1986, and 1988). 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. Spielberg was looking for a six-year-old to play the part of Carol Anne in his upcoming movie, "Poltergeist" and hired her after an interview and a "scream test." Very quickly, her line "They're here…", entered the popular American vocabulary, and she became an instant star. When "Poltergeist II" (1986) was released, her tag line "They're back…" was used as part of the advertisement for the film, and again, quickly caught on to become another popular American phrase. Between films, she showed up in such television shows as Fantasy Island, Webster, CHiPs, Happy Days, and the New Leave It to Beaver. Although she achieved much fame and instant recognition in her Poltergeist roles, she never let it go to her head, and was always friendly to her classmates, never refusing to give her autograph. A straight-A student who studied hard, she loved to read, and liked calligraphy and drawing. She also showed an amazing ability to memorize, and often showed up on sets with all of the lines fully memorized. In later interviews, she confessed that she planned on going to UCLA to major in filmmaking, and to become a film director. Of her many achievements, Heather stated that she was proudest of being elected student body president of her 5th grade class in 1985.
Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson
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"Carol Anne" - Poltergeist I, II, III.
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