the major voice work for e.t. was pat welsh, an elderly woman who lived in marin county, california. welsh smoked two packets of cigarettes a day, which gave her voice a quality that sound effects creator ben burtt liked. burtt also recorded 16 other people and various animals to create e.t.'s "voice". these included spielberg; debra winger; burtt's sleeping wife, who had a cold; a burp from his usc movie professor; and raccoons, sea otters, and horses.