Iconic actress known for role in sci-fi blockbuster is seen on rare outing in LA… can you guess who?

An actress known for her iconic role in a beloved ’80s sci-fi blockbuster was spotted on a rare outing in Los Angeles just one day after Christmas.

The star has also appeared in a number of projects within the horror genre during her successful career so far.

She has a whopping 272 acting credits to her name since she started working professionally in the entertainment industry in the mid-1970s.

Previously, the Emmy-nominated actress was a high school drama teacher in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

The film and television star developed a passion for acting thanks to her own mother, who had been a stage actress.

But can you guess who it is?

It’s Dee Wallace, 76, who most notably played the character of single mother Mary Taylor in Steven Spielberg’s hit film ET The Extra-Terrestrial.

The film was released theatrically in 1982 and became the highest-grossing film of all time for eleven years until Jurassic Park (1993).

Other stars cast in the blockbuster included Drew Barrymore, Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Peter Coyote and C. Thomas Howell.

ET was a critical success among critics and audiences, grossing a whopping $792.9 million at the box office on a $10.5 million budget.

The project also received a total of nine Oscar nominations, winning four: Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Sound Editing.

During her latest outing in Los Angeles earlier this week Thursday, Wallace was spotted walking her dog in a quiet neighborhood.

The star kept it casual by wearing a gray long-sleeved sweatshirt and cream sweatpants.

As a finishing touch, Dee put on a pair of comfortable black sneakers tied with laces.

She also wore a pair of stylish black sunglasses to protect her eyes from the bright Californian sun during the peaceful stroll.

During the holidays, Wallace celebrated her 76th birthday earlier this month on December 14.

The star – born in Kansas City in 1948 – first developed an interest in acting after watching her mother who was a stage actress.

After graduating from the University of Kansas, Dee taught drama at Washington High School in her hometown.

Her career began in the mid-1970s when she took small roles in television shows such as The Streets Of San Francisco, Ellery Queen, Police Woman and Hart To Hart.

In 1975, she starred in the film The Stepford Wives – which also starred Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson and Nanette Newman.

Two years later, Wallace played a larger role in the 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes, written and directed by Wes Craven.

And in 1981, she continued to appear in films in the genre, such as The Howling, which notably won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film.

The following year, Dee rose to fame after taking on the role of Mary Taylor in Spielberg’s beloved film ET The Extra-Terrestrial.

The premise is: “A troubled child musters the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet,” he says. IMDB.

During an earlier interview with SYFY in 2022, Wallace reflected on starring in the film and working with the star-studded cast and acclaimed director.

“I don’t remember it being chaotic at all,” she said. “The kids were completely professional… they weren’t Hollywood kids. Most of them were just getting started.”

‘Robert, [who played] the eldest son had much more experience, especially on stage, and he was simply wonderful. Henry had a few films under his belt by then, I think.”

Dee added, “And Drew just said, ‘Hello! I’m DREW and I’m going to take over the place!’ So when they were on break, when they weren’t in school, they were playing, shooting hoops, or in Steven’s office playing with the arcade games he had.”

“It was a real family feeling on the whole set and I think that really comes across in the film.”

Wallace also admitted that she initially felt like her career was over before the film was even released in theaters.

She explained, “I saw it the first time in the studio with a bunch of executives and I came home and said to my husband, ‘I think my career is over. There wasn’t one reaction.’

“He took my hand and said, ‘You come with me, and we’ll see it in a theater next week when it opens.’ We stood in line with everyone else and it was amazing.”

Wallace recalled, “People laughed, they cried, they cheered, they stood up, they held each other.”

“Everyone at Universal didn’t want to respond if their boss didn’t respond the same way. Don’t know. But it was magical to see it with that first audience.”

Over the course of her career so far, Dee has a whopping 272 acting credits to her name, according to the star’s records. official IMDB page.

Other horror films she starred in include Critters (1986), The Frighteners (1996), Halloween (2007), The House Of The Devil (2009) and also The Lords Of Salem (2012).

She has also taken on roles in recent television productions such as 9-1-1, The Bay and Fatal Attraction (2023).

For years, Dee made guest appearances on a number of shows, including The Twilight Zone, The Office, Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, My Name Is Earl, Supernatural and General Hospital.

For her performance as Patricia Spencer on General Hospital, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series in 2016.

Wallace – who became a grandmother in August last year – has fourteen projects to her name.

One of the productions includes a series titled The Boroughs from the Duffer Brothers, who most notably created the hit Netflix series Stranger Things.