Henry Thomas arrested: ET star who played Elliott held for drink-driving

Police were reportedly forced to wake the actor up after he was found asleep at the wheel

(Getty Images)

Actor and musician Henry Thomas, who shot to fame in 1982 when he starred in Steven Spielberg's sci-fi blockbuster ET, has been arrested for drink-driving in Oregon, US.

According to US media reports, officers found him passed out behind the wheel of his car on Monday 21 October around 8,30pm, after receiving a call from another driver.

The car had stopped in the middle of a residential intersection, the Tualatin Police Department said, and officers were forced to wake him up.

TMZ reports that Thomas was taken to Washington County Jail on suspicion of intoxication after he showed signs that he had been drinking.

He was booked for a misdemeanour of driving under the influence and released the following morning, on Tuesday 22 October.

Thomas has starred in a number of prominent films and TV shows since his breakout role as 10-year-old Elliot Thomas in ET, which received critical acclaim.

He recently appeared in the widely praised Netflix film Gerald's Game, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and The Haunting of Hill House.