‘E.T.’ the movie turns 40

As "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" celebrates its 40th anniversary, Henry Thomas, who starred as Elliott in the film, is reflecting on the movie and the fame that came with it.

Thomas spoke to CNN last week as an updated 4K Ultra HD version of the movie was released. It includes 45 minutes of new bonus footage of the Steven Spielberg directed classic.

Initially, Thomas said, he didn't understand the little alien who came to live in Elliott's house.

"I remember as a kid, you know, I was really into 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones,' Thomas recalled. "I was given a script and I read it and I thought, there's no laser fighting? There's no starships, or battles, or fights? But it works. It works somehow," he said.

Until he actually saw E.T. on set, Thomas said he thought "this guy with a finger that can heal you" was a silly concept. That changed when production started, the actor said, because Spielberg made everything so believable.

Although Thomas hasn't watched "E.T." in 20 years (he can't watch himself on screen), he understands why the movie has endured.

"It speaks to our universal human compassion," he said. "And we all have that. We all have the nurturer inside of us, right? So I think it speaks to that. It brings us back to being young."

Thomas said he still gets recognized as the boy from "E.T." but doesn't mind. It was harder when he was a kid, a shock to the system when strangers across the world started saying hello.

"Suddenly, I wasn't anonymous anymore. And that was a strange feeling as a boy," Thomas recalled. "There was a book called 'Never Talk to Strangers,' and it was all about don't talk to strangers, don't talk to strange people that you don't know, and unless your parents or your family know...