Heather O'Rourke was an award-winning American actress best known for her starring role in the film Poltergeist, and its two sequels. It was in her role as Carol Anne Freeling that she delivered the immortal lines "They're he-eere!" and later, "They're baa-ack" to herald the arrival of visitors from "the other side." Those famous words entered the lexicon of movie fans everywhere.

Full or original name at birth: Heather Michele O'Rourke

Date, time and place of birth: December 27, 1975, at 12:28 a.m., San Diego, California, U.S.A.

Date, time, place and cause of death: February 1, 1988, at 2:43 p.m., Children's Hospital and Health Center, 8001 Frost Street, San Diego, California, U.S.A. (Cardio-respiratory arrest/septic shock/acute bowel obstruction)

Older sister: Tammy O'Rourke

Parents
Father: Michael O'Rourke
Mother: Kathleen (Rasmussen) O'Rourke

Note: Heather's parents divorced when she was just 5 years of age, and her mother Kathy O'Rourke later remarried.

Burial site: Westwood Memorial Park (a.k.a. Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery), Westwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

It's been widely-reported that Steven Spielberg discovered Heather O'Rourke and cast her in the hit motion picture Poltergeist. She had previously appeared in several commercials, but it was her role as Carol Anne, the young child kidnapped by evil forces, that catapulted her to fame.

Heather O'Rourke's early death was the result of a medical condition known as intestinal stenosis. The condition led to an intestinal blockage, which in turn produced multiple complications, including septic shock, and ultimately, cardio-respiratory arrest.

A number of startling deaths, and unusual happenings experienced by the cast and crew, brought about talk of "The Poltergeist Curse." Actress Dominique Dunne, who played Heather's older sister in Poltergeist, was murdered by her boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney. Sweeney later changed his name to John Maura and moved to the Pacific Northwest after serving less than three years for her murder. Cast members Will Sampson, and Julian Beck both died unexpectedly. Accidents and bizarre disruptions were reported on the set of one of the sequels. Regardless of what some would like to attribute the events to, Heather's early death, and the appalling murder of Dominique Dunne, were both incredible tragedies.

Selected movie credits:
Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Poltergeist III (1988)

Made-for-television movies/Pilots/Miscellaneous TV:
Massarati and the Brain (1982)
Around the Bend (1986)
Surviving (1985)

TV guest appearances:
Fantasy Island
CHiPs
The Merv Griffin Show
Matt Houston
Finder of Lost Loves
Our House

Television series:
Happy Days (1982-1983)
Webster (1983-1984)
Still the Beaver (1986-1987)

Education:
Carlton Hills Elementary School, Santee, California (kindergarten)
Walt Disney Elementary School, Anaheim, California (1st-3rd grades)
Big Bear Elementary School, Big Bear Lake, California (4th-6th grades)
Tierra del Sol Middle School, Lakeside, California (7th grade)

Hobbies/sidelines: Skiing, bike riding, swimming, miniature golf, baking, reading, doll collecting (especially Cabbage Patch dolls), sewing (outfits for her dolls), and writing.