Former 'Close Encounters' Child Star Cary Guffey: 'I Still Get Fan Mail'

As Steven Spielberg's sci-fi masterpiece "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" celebrates its 40th anniversary, the film's young star is all grown up and says people still recognize him. Cary Guffey says, "I actually do still get fan mail." Guffey, now 45, charmed audiences in the hit movie about UFOs descending on planet Earth. The former child star now lives in Birmingham, Al., where he lives with his wife, Michelle, and kids. He gave up acting decades ago and now works as a financial adviser. #InsideEdition

[@notsorandumusername]

Dear Cary, you were the best actor in Close Encounters. The casting lady who spotted you in kindergarten was right to follow her instinct and Spielberg did what only a genius director could do: he made you not act at all. He let you be yourself: adorable and innocent. Thanks for being that kid. I bet you're still a great guy now.

[@VEGANSAM]

I watched this movie last night with over 1000 people in Santa Barbara, in the glorious sunken garden of the County Courthouse. I remember when & where I saw it when it first came out, & despite it being one of my favorites of all time, I hadn't seen it for decades...however, my ringtone has been the iconic 5 notes since it was possible to choose it. And as I watched it, the thing that I kept thinking was how absolutely perfectly cast this movie was...e v e r y s i n g l e one of them! But the one that blew me away, was Cary Guffey as Barry. EVERYTHING about him, his stances, his mannerisms...his ARMS...you name it, were PERFECT. And after having just read all the people who had either turned down or didn't get all the adult roles, I'm amazed by how Spielberg nailed it by choosing this 3 year old boy. Having said all that...I'm VERY glad he came out of it 'normal' & unscathed by 'Hollywood'. :-)

[@milhouse14]

One of the best sci-fi movies ever made.

[@kwpp7]

How fun for his children to be able to see their dad as a toddler on film! 😀

[@RobTheTrucker]

Close Encounters is one of my all time favourite movies! Cary Guffey also starred in "The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid" 1979 along side Bud Spencer. :)

[@nicolanisco1991]

E non dimentichiamo il sequel: chissà perché... capitano tutte a me. ❤ (Everything Happens to Me (1980 film))

[@belaknight945]

Did anybody notice the son to his left chewing his finger nails and the wife grabbing his arm? Lol

[@karjam9936]

Bela Knight Yeah lol! I'm guessing thats why he had his hands crossed so tight in the beginning 😂

[@elasticdancer]

Bela Knight when I was little up to the age of 11 I would bight my nails and my mom would grab my arm whenever we were in public or somewhere with other people, too. I mean I still bite my nails but hey at least my mom doesn't notice anymore.

[@inflixo36]

KENZIE ALDC I don’t bite my nails that’s just retarded, I can’t event bite them off if I tried

[@BelgianCat]

Then you've got some weak ass jaws/teeth, Articuno.

[@BelgianCat]

hArDsTyLe2259 its already proven that nail biting is in no way harming and in fact makes the body stronger as you expose yourself to 'dirt', essentially strengthening your immune system.

[@pamelasmith6221]

I saw this when it came out but just rewatched it last night on a flight home from Maui. Still loved it. Loved his character. Little Barry was so good in that role. It’s weird to see him as a grown adult. Love the movie.

[@michelelaraia7358]

I didn't ever watched it instead.

[@michelelaraia7358]

The ginger, lesser son looks a lot like him.

[@michelelaraia7358]

0:51

[@masqueradereader7809]

Close encounters is my favorite movie!! Even as a child I still watch it to this day. Plus my mom still has the t shirt she got back in the early 80s lol Love the movie

[@d0lphinaw0man]

Cary Guffey when he was a little kid (3 yrs old) he reminds me of MY 37 yr old son when he was that age! ;) What a CUTIE Cary Guffey was at that age!! Watching that video, I can STILL the little (3 yr old) kid in his face!! ;)

[@bakedpotatosoop5332]

Everytime I saw him in “Close encounter of the 3rd kind” I went “he’s so cute!” He was SOO cute

[@PsychicX720]

He works with my mom now he’s an awesome guy

[@jonoya11]

Inside Edition makes everything seem dramatic😂

[@michelelaraia7358]

Really.

[@paer_vers]

I like him for not clinging on popularity by the skin of his teeth like many child actors did. Besides, he must also had supportive parents who were able to judge what was best for their kid and did not choose to cash on him.

[@mayjean]

I worked with him at a company in Anniston AL years ago. Super nice guy.

[@lookingupwithwonder]

Omg he is still a cutie pie.

[@johnandrewservice8598]

We often wondered how you were Barry. Great seeing you Onelove ❤️💛💚

[@88INVINCIBLE]

1:21 my mom😂😂😂

[@zoeymichal2016]

He lives 2 hours from me

[@down2one313]

my favorite movie of all time!

[@organboi]

Good god, there must be so much more to this story. Let's see him with Spielberg all these years later. Has he done any films since? I think so.

[@JDemen82]

I wonder how much money they offered him to "remind people he's still alive."

[@msagzjr.4641]

He was getting fanmail for 40 years? Damn O_O

[@reaganation6000]

I want to see him and Spielberg reuniting

[@pannajohns5255]

I remember him (when he was a kid) in a movie with Bud Spencer called 'Sherrif from the sky' (I think that's how it's called in English... I watch it in my native language)

[@notsorandumusername]

The Sheriff And The Satellite Kid. There's also a sequel called Everything Happens To Me.

[@pannajohns5255]

notsorandumusername Ah yes that! I watched both and I love all his movies. Sadly he died a year ago :(

[@notsorandumusername]

Yes, Bud was a childhood hero of mine too. Which kid growing up in the eighties didn't love him and Terence Hill? I read in an interview with Cary that his two movies with Bud were his own favorites, that he was a great guy off and on set and that he saw him as a father figure. Well, I can imagine that. It's pretty clear that young Cary had very wise parents and that the loving, understanding and playful way Steven Spielberg and Bud Spencer treated him influenced him greatly as a man. That's why he turned out such a grounded and likeable guy. I wish the many other rather derailed child actors could have had the same experience. At least Cary turned out the way he did. Sometimes, Hollywood does get it right.

[@RicSenato]

H725 👍❤

[@hartze4946]

OMG who can deny that as a child he looks like brother of Dakota and Elle fanning

[@mikestanberry]

Your still awesome Cary! (Beary) I saw close encounters in 4K yesterday and it felt like I saw it for the first time 👍👍👍

[@scottbuske3920]

You still get fan mail. You deserve it.

[@paulagwhyte1720]

He was awesome in that movie. That movie was awesome.

[@ss-xs4fq]

Who subscribed to this awesome channel?

[@iiuniversalii2209]

CutieDog 1582 ummm u or inside edition

[@lorettabrecht3844]

You were such a sweet little boy!!

[@michelelaraia7358]

O:57 his button(another name in English,dunno)on the shirt's wrist looks like an eye.Birmingham,the place where King lived.I know,he's from Douglasville,GA,he's a southerner!Bud Spencer shot his movies in Newnan,Coweta country,southwest of Atlanta and Monroe,northeast close to the SC border.

[@pazza4555]

Cuff link

[@thatonekidisback189]

Close encounters sounds like something Chris Hansen going to come out saying "have a seat"

[@hanscombe72]

Man!: They called him one take Cary. I was just watching Melinda Dillon talking about him when he was up for the role against another 3 year old. This other kid was a loud hyperactive kid but Cary according to Dillon was a soft quiet gentle listening child. Everyone remembers opening the door to the light and “Toys!!!!” When he is following the creatures through his house in the middle of night. They trash the kitchen and they appear to little Cary. The look of shock which slowly blossoms into a smile. Incredible. Of course off camera it may have been Spielberg or a friend on set jumps out in a gorilla mask and removes it to reveal his real face but that shot is magnificent. No one could direct children like Spielberg. Do yourself a favour and watch Henry Thomas auditioning for the role of Elliot in ET. Pleading with a government official not to take his little friend away. Henry has no idea what ET would look like but he knew he was his friend and no grown up was going to take his friend away. The audition ends with Spielberg just saying “kid you’ve got the job”.

[@Frank-xe2mb]

And what about the movie with the great Bud Spencer "Everything happens to me" ❤❤❤

[@wh6665]

How come you’re so intelligently acting at that age....😱👏🏽

[@edwardbliss8931]

Amazing this guy remembers making the movie at 3 years old

[@andrewtellez1494]

he looks like Matt Ryan 😂

[@gerardoburciaga4757]

This is so cool! Our marching band show is about space and one of our movements is revolved around the scene when the aliens come to first contact

[@jaiye71]

OMG he was such a cute boy in that film.

[@AndroctonusHector]

My god time flies

[@roquefortfiles]

The little alien, Puck!, who comes out at the end and exchanges the hand signs with Truffaut and smiles was made to look like Cary because Steven thought Cary's face was very kind and gentle looking.

[@family4lifeuploads936]

WOW

[@pbworld7858]

My god, he still looks the same!

[@johnnybonnywonny]

I love that movie

[@faithlessberserker5921]

Looks like he made it out untouched

[@RangaTurk]

Is Professor Herman Faby shaped like a square? No, he is shaped like a rectangle! "Look with care for the shape of a square. Look all around! Can you find it?"

[@tanyapeavoy5885]

He was one cute kid😙

[@Arbeedubya]

Does he get any royalties, or did they do him like they did the banjo kid in Deliverance and just pay him one chunk of money and that was it?

[@daigoro1381]

certainly having worked in "close encounters of the third kind" is no small thing, but nothing compared to having worked twice with Bud Spencer, who here in Italy is considered a father of the country. Without joking, Cary Guffey could at any time ring the doorbell of any Italian and say I am the child from the movie "The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid" and he would be hosted and fed like one of the family. Ask to believe!

[@tapchek8437]

hello childhood memories

[@michellebuquiran2341]

wow,now that's how to be a fan^o^

[@LuLu-rl4bp]

He was so cute when he was little

[@pluage1092]

He lives close to me Wtc Boi I live almost 30 minutes away from him 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

[@carriegoth7895]

Aww

[@merycortes5142]

Believe me i would neverrr notessss

[@dominiquefuentes6043]

Is it weird to say that he looks the same 👀

[@annguffey3264]

I’m related to him

[@passingthroughtime3033]

I'm related to you

[@nekonekic1]

All grown up.50 years old lol

[@sophiecake3619]

Guy:do you recognize him Me:no Guy:how bout now Me:still no

[@mayjean]

check out The Sheriff & the Satellite kid, Poison Ivy with Michael J. Fox...others

[@1uvfaith]

Lol💓cute!

[@VoyageOne1]

EEK!!! It's the middle-aged Mark Zuckerberg!!

[@esmeraldadomenico668]

Wow

[@Footstabber200]

100 LIKES 2 VIEWS??? ilumanit confirmaed

[@brittl5778]

Phoniex Griffin *illuminati, *confirmed

[@yuriesaa1299]

Young Abz Ilumanit Hahahahaha omg hahahaha

[@tomhertz1614]

Looks great . Obviously didn't abuse his body with drugs and alcohol and crappy food.

[@nathanreynolds5630]

Hi

[@akk709]

Could play mark Zuckerberg in a bio pic

[@passingthroughtime3033]

Oh no what happened

[@MsEliteForever]

I wouldn't recognized him.

[@ZainabAli-eg4od]

Show

[@ruzzelladrian907]

He's still cute.

[@mhdnsb7850]

Mhd👦👷👥👷🔧🔨🔩🏭🏡🚀🚨🚧💣🔫🔬🔭💊💉📢📣📡💻📹📷📱🔦🔋🔌💰👽👾👿💀👌✌👍👤👱👼👱

[@elleavery4762]

He still have a baby face tho

[@kaylowwf.i1946]

"Do you recognize him?" No.

[@marvell2935]

he has a baby face

[@toffeelynx1330]

This video starts at 0:00

[@jacobjaime9143]

WE ALL KNOW THAT!!!!

[@Jaymindrew1990]

🛸👍

[@JCTelenio]

Mark Zuckerberg in 15 years.

[@recesunar9069]

there issomething v different about u

[@victoriam3652]

He was so cute as a child. What happened?

[@sugakooki2197]

Victoria M LMAO

[@magias83]

H725

[@laurencallaghan7072]

Wtf

[@liloboy911808]

Please get this comment up to 2k to support the people in Texas. 💝

[@sereneburrito0476]

liloboy911808 no

[@biancaking2502]

I support Texas but instead of likes what about food water clothes etc

[@nancyh2153]

liloboy911808 More likes would totally help them , get real 😡

[@myweavewassnatcheda7059]

liloboy911808 nooo

[@carolinasixtos9116]

Wow only 3 likes 😂 😂

[@Footstabber200]

FIRST COMMENT SUBBED FAST

[@HIGHGRADECHANNEL]

Vussy

[@paulagwhyte1720]

His wife and the mother of his two boys, though, seems a little obsessive. I mean, if you're so used to stopping your kid from chewing his fingernail that you can't hold back even while being filmed for a TV show, then wow, she must drive him nuts about the habit. Which has always floored me with parents, don't sweat the small stuff has always been my motto with four sons, and pick your battles. A random comment, "...full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." ;)

[@whoofman2013]

It's a nasty habit and she knew it didn't look good on TV. I'm glad she stopped him.

[@pazza4555]

Obsessive? People make the weirdest judgements based off videos online. She did what most parents would do, though I didn't notice it myself.

[@Senura101]

First whahahaja ... fk I failed 😓

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