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Heather O'Rourke

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Heather O'Rourke

Heather Michele O'Rourke (December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988) was an American child actress. She had her breakthrough starring as Carol Anne Freeling in the supernatural horror film Poltergeist (1982), which received critical acclaim and established her as an influential figure in the genre. She went on to reprise the role in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988), the last of which was released posthumously. O'Rourke also worked in television, appearing in the recurring roles of Heather Pfister on the comedy series Happy Days (1982–1983) and Melanie in the sitcom Webster (1983), as well as starring as Sarah Brogan in the television-film Surviving: A Family in Crisis (1985). Throughout her career, O'Rourke was nominated for six Young Artist Awards, winning once for her role in Webster. On February 1, 1988, O'Rourke died following two cardiac arrests, her cause of death later being ruled as congenital stenosis of the intestine complicated by septic shock.

Infobox

Born
Heather Michele O'Rourke(1975-12-27)December 27, 1975San Diego, California, U.S.
Died
February 1, 1988(1988-02-01) (aged 12)San Diego, California, U.S.
Resting place
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation
Actress
Years active
1981–1988
Family
Tammy O'Rourke (sister)

Tables

· Filmography › Film
1982
Role(s)
Carol Anne Freeling
1988
Role(s)
Posthumous release
Year
Title
Role
Notes
Ref.
1982
Poltergeist
Carol Anne Freeling
1986
Poltergeist II: The Other Side
1988
Poltergeist III
Posthumous release
· Filmography › Television
1981
Role(s)
Young Liza Blake
Notes
Episode: "Elizabeth's Baby / The Artist and the Lady"
1982–1983
Role(s)
Happy Days
Notes
Heather Pfister
1982
Role(s)
Skye Henry
Notes
Television film
1983
Role(s)
Lindsey
Notes
Episode: "Fun House"
Role(s)
Sunny Kimball
Notes
Episode: "The Woman in White"
Role(s)
Melanie
Notes
Recurring role; 3 episodes
1984
Role(s)
Jillian Marsh
Notes
Episode: "Yesterday's Child"
1985
Role(s)
Sarah Brogan
Notes
Television film
1986–1987
Role(s)
The New Leave It to Beaver
Notes
Heather
1986
Around the Bend
Role(s)
The Daughter
Notes
Television film
1987
Role(s)
Dana
Notes
Episode: "A Point of View"
Role(s)
Russian Girl
Notes
Episode: "Moscow on the Boardwalk"
Year
Title
Role
Notes
Ref.
1981
Fantasy Island
Young Liza Blake
Episode: "Elizabeth's Baby / The Artist and the Lady"
1982–1983
Happy Days
Heather Pfister
Recurring role; 12 episodes
1982
Massarati and the Brain
Skye Henry
Television film
1983
CHiPs
Lindsey
Episode: "Fun House"
1983
Matt Houston
Sunny Kimball
Episode: "The Woman in White"
1983
Webster
Melanie
Recurring role; 3 episodes
1984
Finder of Lost Loves
Jillian Marsh
Episode: "Yesterday's Child"
1985
Surviving: A Family in Crisis
Sarah Brogan
Television film
1986–1987
The New Leave It to Beaver
Heather
Episodes: "Material Girl", "Bad Poetry"
1986
Around the Bend
The Daughter
Television film
1987
Our House
Dana
Episode: "A Point of View"
1987
Rocky Road
Russian Girl
Episode: "Moscow on the Boardwalk"
· Accolades › Awards and nominations
1983
Role(s)
Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series
Notes
Happy Days
Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Role(s)
Poltergeist
Notes
Nominated
1984
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Television Series
Role(s)
Webster
Notes
Nominated
1985
Won
1986
Best Young Actress in a Television Special or Mini-Series
Role(s)
Surviving
Notes
Nominated
1987
Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Role(s)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Notes
Nominated
Year
Award
Category
Work
Result
1983
Young Artist Award
Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series
Happy Days
Nominated
1983
Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Poltergeist
Nominated
1984
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Television Series
Webster
Nominated
1985
Won
1986
Best Young Actress in a Television Special or Mini-Series
Surviving
Nominated
1987
Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Nominated

References

  1. The New Zealand Herald
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/mysterious-death-of-80s-childstar-heather-orourke-and-the-hollywood-curse-surrounding-it/ZODOLPETJFGNEAF72EEOGKRDQQ/
  2. ScreenRant
    https://screenrant.com/wandavision-poltergeist-crossover-art-scarlet-witch-villain/
  3. Autopsyfiles
    http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/deathcert/orourke,%20heather_dc.pdf
  4. Harvey & Harvey 1996, p. 122.
  5. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/03/obituaries/heather-o-rourke-12-starred-in-poltergeist.html
  6. All That's Interesting
    https://allthatsinteresting.com/heather-orourke
  7. People
    https://web.archive.org/web/20161013054301/https://people.com/archive/heather-orourkes-grieving-mother-tells-why-shes-suing-her-childs-doctors-for-wrongful-death-vol-29-no-23/
  8. People
    https://web.archive.org/web/20180327023427/http://people.com/archive/snatched-by-poltergeists-demons-heather-orourke-gets-some-bad-news-theyre-here-again-vol-25-no-23/
  9. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2MxRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6698,584973
  10. The Vindicator
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g8c_AAAAIBAJ&pg=1058,390623
  11. Spielberg, Friedman & Notbohm 2000, pp. 88–89.
  12. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/03/obituaries/heather-o-rourke-12-starred-in-poltergeist.html
  13. Heather O'Rourke Story on YouTube (A Current Affair)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au-QUyjOF7A
  14. Simpson 2010, p. 195.
  15. Brode 2000, pp. 103–104.
  16. Money
    https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0015-8259
  17. Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
    https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983
  18. People: Gone Too Soon: Remembering 65 Celebrities Who Died Too Young
  19. American Film Institute
    https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movie-quotes/
  20. PopCrush
    https://popcrush.com/2021-mtv-movie-tv-awards-winners-list/
  21. Cotter 2009, p. 10.
  22. Indiana Gazette
  23. The New York Times
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090813022308/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/53639/Heather-O-Rourke/filmography
  24. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/23/movies/screen-jobeth-williams-in-sequel-poltergeist-ii.html
  25. The Philadelphia Inquirer
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41448354/obituary-for-heather-orourke-aged-12/
  26. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-11-ca-4050-story.html
  27. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/355ac4e0f2b6bd8109f766de6ec0dfb8
  28. The Motion Picture Guide Annual
  29. Philadelphia Inquirer
    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41448354/obituary_for_heather_orourke_aged_12/
  30. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-05-26-mn-5241-story.html
  31. Los Angeles Times
    https://web.archive.org/web/20121105201058/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-03/news/mn-27226_1_poltergeist-iii
  32. San Jose Mercury News
  33. AllMovie
    https://www.allmovie.com/artist/heather-orourke-p53639/filmography
  34. Lentz 1983, p. 1237.
  35. TV Guide
    https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/heather-orourke/153376/
  36. Parish & Terrace 1989, p. 279.
  37. Film Industry Digest
    http://www.filmindustrydigest.com/heather-orourke-then-and-now/
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