Cast


Craig T. Nelson as Steve Freeling- Before Poltergeist, Nelson had some
roles on several television shows, such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and
Charlie’s Angels, later appearing movies like Stir Crazy and Private
Benjamin. After Poltergeist, he starred in his own sitcom, Coach, and later
provided the voice of Mr. Incredible in The Incredibles.
JoBeth Williams as Diane Freeling- Williams was in Kramer Vs. Kramer and
Stir Crazy. She’d later to go on to The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp, and directed
a few shorts and a tv movie, Frankie and Hazel.
Dominique Dunne as Dana Freeling- Dunne had a shortlived career, mostly in
television. Her role as the daughter in Poltergeist is her most famous role.
In 1982, she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney.
Oliver Robbins as Robbie Freeling- Robbins was in a tv movie, Million Dollar
Infield, before playing Robbie Freeling in the first two Poltergeist movies.
He would later pop up in Airplane II: The Sequel, a tv movie called Don’t Go
To Sleep, and an episode of The Twilight Zone. He then turned to writing and
directing with Roomies and Dumped.
Heather O’ Rourke as Carol Anne Freeling- Most famous for her role in all
three Poltergeist films, Rourke later had a role in Happy Days, as well as
other tv shows and tv movies. Her career was sadly shortlived as on
February 1,1988, at the age of 12, after previously being diagnosed with
Crohn’s Disease, she was rushed to the hospital and suffered a cardiac rest
and passed away.
Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina Barrons- Prior to Poltergeist, Zelda was in an
episode of The Flintstones Comedy Show and Under the Rainbow. She
would goon to play her notable role as Tangina in all three Poltergeist
films and even appear, as a different character, in an episode the tv series,
Poltergeist: The Legacy. Most recently, she appeared in the horror film
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and Southland Tales.
Beatrice Straight as Dr. Lesh- Straight had been acting since the 1950′s,
showing up in several movies and television shows, including Alfred Hitchcock
Presents and Mission:Impossible. She would later act in 1976′s Network
before going on to play the parapsychologist Dr. Lesh in Poltergeist. She
passed away in 2001.
Richard Lawson as Ryan-Lawson was in a few exploitation films, such as
Scream Blacula Scream, and made appearances in tv shows like All in the Family
and T.J. Hooker. After Poltergeist, he’d appear in the mini-series V, St.
Elsewhere, MacGuyver, The Cosby Show, Wag the Dog, and Guess Who.
Martin Casella as Marty- Casella had previously served as a Production
Assistant on Used Cars and as Spielberg’s Assistant on Raiders of the Lost
Ark. He appeared in a few movies after Poltergeist, such as Six Weeks
and Robocop 2.

About Josh Kelhoffer

Josh Kelhoffer is the webmaster for Poltergeist Online. He has previously written articles and news posts for the now defunct The TV Show Blog and still writes for Playmountain, formerly a Steven Spielberg fansite, and is an administrator for their forum. He also is the webmaster for Go Nerd Yourself.