Steven Spielberg on what inspired him to become a father

Steven Spielberg had an unexpected calling after working with Drew Barrymore in the '80s.

The director-actor bond took centre stage during a panel talk at the TCM Classic Film Festival in New York where the duo spoke of their dynamics on shoots, especially their 1982 project E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

"I think E.T., for me, is the one I'm the most proud of," Barrymore said during the Saturday panel, adding that "it's the one that changed" her life.

The actress, 49, continued, "There's no question about that. Everything in my life is about how I got believed in by one human being, and that is the life that I try to honour every day."

The famed director, 78, also reciprocated, saying, it "changed my life also."

"Up until that point—’81, ’82— I was just making movies," Spielberg explained. "That was my life. I was obsessed with telling stories, but making E.T. made me want to be a father for the first time. I never even thought about that until E.T."

Barrymore jokingly asked, "I didn't ruin that for you?" to which Spielberg replied, "The opposite."

"Thank goodness, my job is done," she replied, jokingly.

Spielberg is now dad to seven adult children, ranging between ages 28 to 48.

"I have seven kids and six grandkids," he continued at the event. "I've shown the film to all my kids and a couple of my grandkids."