Heather Michele O'Rourke was an American child actress who rose to fame for her role in the horror film genre. She was discovered by director Steven Spielberg and cast as Carol Anne Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. O'Rourke reprised the role in the sequels Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III, becoming an iconic figure in horror cinema. Tragically, her promising career was cut short when she died at the age of 12 from complications related to a misdiagnosed intestinal issue.