Barrymore is the founder of the production companyFlower Films and has starred in several of its projects. She made her directorial debut withWhip It (2009). She launched a range of cosmetics under the Flower banner in 2013.[6] Her other business ventures include a range of wines,[7] homeware, and clothing.[8] She has released fourNew York Times bestselling books, including the memoirLittle Girl Lost (1990) and thephotobookFind It in Everything (2014).[1][9][10]
Barrymore'sgodmothers are actressSophia Loren[21] andLee Strasberg's widow, Anna Strasberg; Barrymore described her relationship with the latter as one that "would become so important to me as a kid because she was so kind and nurturing."[22] Her godfather is filmmakerSteven Spielberg.[23][24][25][26]
Barrymore's first name, Drew, was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother Georgie Drew, and her middle name, Blythe, was derived from the birth surname (Blyth) of her great-grandfather who later took the stage name of Maurice Barrymore.[23] In her 1991 autobiographyLittle Girl Lost, Barrymore recounted early memories of her abusive father, who left the family when she was six months old. She and her father never had a significant relationship and seldom spoke.[27]
Barrymore grew up on Poinsettia Place inWest Hollywood, until she moved toSherman Oaks at the age of seven. In her 2015 memoirWildflower, she says she spoke "like avalley girl" because she grew up in Sherman Oaks. She moved back toWest Hollywood on becomingemancipated at age 14.[28] She attended elementary school at Fountain Day School in West Hollywood and Country School.[29] In the wake of her sudden stardom, Barrymore endured a notoriously troubled childhood. She was a regular atStudio 54 as a young girl, and her nightlife and constant partying became a popular subject with the media. She was placed inrehab at 13,[1][23] and spent eighteen months at Van Nuys Behavioral Health Hospital, an institution for the mentally ill.[30] A suicide attempt at 14 put her back in rehab, followed by a three-month stay with singerDavid Crosby and his wife. The stay was precipitated, Crosby said, because she "needed to be around some people that were committed to sobriety." Barrymore described this period of her life forLittle Girl Lost. After a successfuljuvenile court petition for emancipation, she moved into her own apartment at the age of 15.[27][18]
In the1984 film adaptation ofStephen King's 1980 novelFirestarter, Barrymore played a girl withpyrokinesis, and the target of a secret government agency known as The Shop. That year, she also played a young girl divorcing her famous parents inIrreconcilable Differences and was nominated for her firstGolden Globe Award forBest Supporting Actress.[23][35] In his review in theChicago Sun-Times,Roger Ebert wrote: "Barrymore is the right actress for this role precisely because she approaches it with such grave calm."[36] She starred in the anthology horror filmCat's Eye, also written by King. It received positive reviews and Barrymore was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress.[37]
Barrymore experienced a troubled youth and acted only intermittently throughout the late 1980s. She next starred in the 1989 romance filmSee You in the Morning.Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times criticized the "fashionable phoniness" of the film, but positively singled out Barrymore.[38] InFar from Home, she played a teenager who gets stranded with her father in a small, remote desert town. The film went largely unnoticed by audiences and received negative reviews from critics, who dismissed the sexual portrayal of her role.[39]
Barrymore's rebelliousness played itself out on screen and in print. She played a poor teenage girl inPoison Ivy, which was abox-office bomb, but was popular on video andcable.[1][40] Her character "Ivy" was ranked at #6 on the list of the top 26 "bad girls" of all time byEntertainment Weekly.[41] Barrymore was 17 when she posed nude with her then-fiancé, actorJamie Walters, for the cover of the July issue ofInterview magazine; she also appeared nude in pictures inside the issue.[42][43]
InGuncrazy, Barrymore played a teenager who kills her abusive stepfather.[35]Variety remarked that she "pulls off impressively" her character,[44] and Barrymore was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. She played the younger sister of a murdered ballerina inNo Place to Hide and a writer followed by what is apparently her evil twin inDoppelganger. Both films were panned by critics and failed to find an audience.[45][46][47] She appeared in the western filmBad Girls, which follows four former prostitutes on the run following a justifiable homicide and prison escape.Roger Ebert, in his review for the film, wrote forChicago Sun-Times: "What a good idea, to make a Western about four tough women. And what a sad movie."[48]
Barrymore posed nude for the January 1995 issue ofPlayboy.[49][50] Soon after, her godfather Steven Spielberg gave her a quilt for her 20th birthday with a note that read, "Cover yourself up."[23] Enclosed in the quilt were copies of herPlayboy pictures which had been altered by Spielberg's art department so that she appeared fully clothed.[51] Barrymore later said that she would not let her own child make the same choice she did.[52]
While appearing on theLate Show with David Letterman, Barrymore climbed onto the desk, flashed her breasts toDavid Letterman and gave him a kiss on the cheek as a birthday gift.[18] She modeled in a series ofGuess? jeans ads during this time.[53] In the late 1990s, Barrymore re-established her image and continued to be a highly bankable star.[1][54]
InBoys on the Side, Barrymore played a pregnant girl attempting to escape from her abusive boyfriend.[55] It was a box office success and was positively received by critics.[56] In the superhero filmBatman Forever, she played one of the two female assistants forTwo-Face (Tommy Lee Jones).[57][58]
Barrymore in 1997
Barrymore had a small role inWes Craven's slasher filmScream (1996). She read the film's script and was interested in being involved, approaching the production team herself to request a role. The producers were quick to take advantage of her unexpected interest and signed her to play the lead role ofSidney Prescott. However, after unexpected commitments, Barrymore playedCasey Becker in a minor role andNeve Campbell took the leading one.[59]Scream was released to critical acclaim and made $173 million worldwide.[60][61] She was nominated for theSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.[62]
InThe Wedding Singer (1998), Barrymore played a waitress in love with the titular character, played byAdam Sandler.[63]Variety found the film to be a "spirited, funny and warm saga" that serves them up "in a new way that enhances their most winning qualities".[64] Budgeted at $18 million, the film grossed $123.3 million internationally.[65] InHome Fries (1998), Barrymore played a pregnant woman unknowingly falling for the stepson of the late father of her baby.[66] She starred in the historical drama filmEver After (1998), which made $98 million and was inspired by the fairy taleCinderella.[67] Roger Ebert said about Barrymore and the film: "she can hold the screen and involve us in her characters".[68]
Barrymore voiced the titularanthropomorphicJack Russell terrier in the Christmas television filmOlive, the Other Reindeer and was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award.[69] After establishingFlower Films,[70] Barrymore andNancy Juvonen produced the company's first film,Never Been Kissed, in which Barrymore played an insecure copy editor for theChicago Sun-Times and a high school student. While reviews from critics were mixed,CNN noted: "There are two words which describe why this film works: Drew Barrymore. Her comedic timing and willingness to go all out in her quest for a laugh combine to makeNever Been Kissed a gratifying movie-going experience".[71] The film was a commercial success, grossing $84.5 million.[72][73]
InCharlie's Angels, Barrymore,Cameron Diaz, andLucy Liu played the trio of investigators in Los Angeles. The film was a major box office success and helped solidify Barrymore's standing in her production company as one of the film's producers.[74][23][75] Barrymore starred inRiding in Cars with Boys, as a teenage mother in a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father (based onBeverly Donofrio's real-life story).[1] When the production ofDonnie Darko was threatened, Barrymore stepped forward with financing from the company and played the title character's English teacher. Although the film was less than successful at the box office in the wake of9/11, it reachedcult status after the DVD release, inspiring numerous websites devoted to unraveling the plot twists and meanings.[76]
Barrymore starred inGeorge Clooney's directorial debutConfessions of a Dangerous Mind, based on the autobiography of television producerChuck Barris.[77] Barrymore reprised her role inCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle[1][75] and starred withBen Stiller inDuplex. Flower Films andHappy Madison Productions produced the film50 First Dates, in which Barrymore played an amnesiac woman and Sandler played a marine veterinarian.[78][79] Summing up Barrymore's appeal, Roger Ebert, in his review for the film, remarked that Barrymore displayed a "smiling, coy sincerity", in what he described as an "ingratiating and lovable" film.[80]50 First Dates was a commercial success; it made US$120.9 million in North America and US$196.4 million worldwide.[81]
Barrymore at the premiere forMusic & Lyrics in 2007
In the 2005 American remake adaptation of the 1997British filmFever Pitch, Barrymore played the love interest of an immature schoolteacher (Jimmy Fallon). The film grossed a modest US$50 million worldwide and had generally favorable reviews by critics who felt it "has enough charm and on-screen chemistry between [Fallon and Barrymore] to make it a solid hit".[82] Barrymore starred in the 2006 animated filmCurious George, based on the book series of thesame name. She andHugh Grant starred inMusic and Lyrics, which focuses on the relationship that evolves between a former pop music idol and an aspiring writer as they struggle to compose a song for a reigning pop diva. The romantic comedy, released in February 2007, received largely positive reviews, withThe Washington Post finding the two to be "great together" in it.[83] The film was a commercial success, grossing US$145 million globally.[84][85]
Barrymore starred in herdirectorial debut filmWhip It. It follows a high-schooler (Elliot Page) ditching the teen beauty pageant scene and participating in anAustinroller derby league.[93] Barrymore worked with screenwriterShauna Cross for months on script revisions, with Barrymore pushing her to "avoid her story's tidier prospects, to make things 'more raw and open ended.'"[94] While the film found limited box office receipts, it was favorably received;[95][96] according to review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, critics agreed that her "directorial debut has enough charm, energy, and good-natured humor to transcend its many cliches".[97][98] For her venture, Barrymore garnered nominations for a Bronze Horse at theStockholm Film Festival and for the EDA Female Focus Award at the 2009Alliance of Women Film Journalists. InEverybody's Fine, Barrymore played the daughter of a recently widowed retiree (Robert De Niro).[99] The drama flopped at the box office,[100] but Stephen Holden forThe New York Times considered Barrymore "as ingenuous as ever" in what he described as a "small role."[101][102]
Barrymore starred withJustin Long inNanette Burstein's filmGoing the Distance. It follows a couple dealing the ups and downs of along-distance relationship, while commuting between New York City and San Francisco. It garnered generally mixed reviews by critics,[103] who summed it as "timelier and a little more honest than most romantic comedies",[104] and budgeted at US$32 million,[105] the film made US$40 million at the worldwide box office.[106]
InBlended, Barrymore played a recently divorced woman ending up on a family resort with a widower (Sandler). Film criticJames Berardinelli dismissed the "hit-and-miss humor" of the story and wrote that "as [Sandler and Barrymore] are concerned, the third time is definitely not the charm",[112] as part of an overall lukewarm critical response.[113] The film ultimately grossed US$128 million worldwide.[114] She andToni Collette starred inMiss You Already (2015), as two long-time friends whose relationship is put to the test when one starts a family and the other becomes ill. Reviewers embraced the film, while it received a limited theatrical release.[115][116]
In theNetflix original television seriesSanta Clarita Diet, Barrymore played a real estate agent who, after experiencing a physical transformation into azombie, starts craving human flesh. Along with co-starTimothy Olyphant, Barrymore served as an executive producer on thesingle-camera series,[117] which was favorably received upon its premiere;[118][119][120]Rolling Stone felt that "much of [the series' laughs] comes down to the uncrushable Drew Barrymore charm" and furthermore remarked: "The show is a welcome comeback for Barrymore, the eternally beloved grunge-era wild thing—it's not just her big move into TV, but her first high-profile performance anywhere in years. In a way, it circles back to the roles she was doing in the early [90s], playing deadly vixens in flicks likeGuncrazy orDoppelganger".[121]
The Drew Barrymore Show and expansion (2020–present)
In September 2023, Barrymore announced she would continue her syndicated TV talk show despite the ongoing WGA strike, writing, "I own this choice",[131] when explaining her reasoning via social media. While SAG had stated that as the host of the show she was not under any obligation to strike, her show continued without unionized writing staff. Audience members showing support for the Writer's Guild were kicked out of the studio and had any WGA pins confiscated.[132] Due to these events, theNational Book Foundation removed Barrymore from being the host of the then upcoming 74thNational Book Awards.[133][134] Barrymore apologized for her actions later that week in a video on Instagram, claiming that, "I believe there's nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK."[135][136][137][138] Barrymore deleted the apology video from her account following criticism.[139][137][138] On the 17th, Barrymore announced on her Instagram account that she would be postponing production of her talk show until the strike ends due to the backlash, writing, "I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over". She also added, "I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt, and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today".[5][140][141] A spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures said, "We support Drew's decision to pause the show's return and understand how complex and difficult this process has been for her."[142]
In May 2024, it was announced thatHollywood Squares would be revived byCBS, with Barrymore as a co-executive producer and center square.,[143] andNate Burleson as host. The series premiered on January 16, 2025. On February 24, 2025, the revival was renewed for a second season.[144]
Barrymore became aCoverGirl Cosmetics' model and spokeswoman in 2007.[145] In February 2015, she became one of the faces of CoverGirl, alongside Queen Latifah andTaylor Swift. The company partnered with her because "she emulates the iconic image of CoverGirl with her fresh, natural beauty and energetic yet authentic spirit," said Esi Eggleston Bracey, vice president and general manager of CoverGirl Cosmetics North America. She brought not only her personality into this endorsement but also her creative side, as she also helped create the ads.[146] She was No. 1 onPeople's annual 100 Most Beautiful People list in 2007.[147] She was named the new face for theGucci jewelry line.[148][149] Barrymore signed a contract withIMG Models New York City. She is a spokeswoman for Crocs.
In May 2007, Barrymore was named Ambassador Against Hunger for the United NationsWorld Food Programme[150][151] and later donated $1 million to the cause.[75][152] As a guest photographer fora magazine series called "They Shoot New York", she appeared on the cover holding aPentax K1000 film camera.[153] She expressed hopes of exposing her work in a gallery one day, as she had documented the most recent decade of her life with a Pentax camera.[154]
Barrymore launched a women's fashion line in fall 2017 in conjunction withAmazon.com called Dear Drew,[155] which featured a pop-up shop in New York City that opened in November.[156] She became the Chief Gifting Officer forEtsy in January 2024.[157]
At 16, Barrymore was briefly engaged to 25-year-old Leland Hayward, III, the grandson of producerLeland Hayward, in 1991.[158]
At 17, Barrymore began a relationship with 23-year-oldJamie Walters that lasted from 1992 to 1993.[159] He proposed to her with a diamond ring in a 1967Chevrolet Chevelle and planned to marry in spring of 1993.[160] Walters and Barrymore have tattoos of the other's name; Walters has her name in across on his upper right shoulder blade and Barrymore has his name, along with her mother's name, in a banner flown by acherub on her lower back.[161][160] In 2023, Barrymore spoke positively of Walters while interviewingTori Spelling on her talk show. (Spelling had played Walters' love interest onBeverly Hills, 90210.[162]
In early 1994, at 19, Barrymore began dating 31-year-old Jeremy Thomas, aLos Angeles-based business owner fromWales. Thomas had been allowing Barrymore to drink at The Room, his bar onCahuenga Boulevard, even though she was underage and had already been receiving treatment foralcoholism on and off for several years.[163] On March 20, 1994, after six weeks of dating, the two impulsively married at around 5:30 am at The Room, paying a 24-hour minister to perform the ceremony.[164][165][166] Barrymore wore a white slip dress and combat boots.[163] Barrymore and Thomas separated 19 days later and she filed for divorce less than two months after that, alleging that Thomas had married her for her wealth and agreen card.[1][18][164] Their divorce was finalized in 1995.[165] In an interview later that year, Barrymore toldRolling Stone that Thomas was "theDevil."[165]
In late 1994, Barrymore began datingHole guitaristEric Erlandson.[167] Barrymore began dating MTV host and comedianTom Green in 1999. They were engaged in July 2000 and married a year later.[1] Together, they starred inCharlie's Angels and Green's directorial film debut,Freddy Got Fingered. Green filed for divorce in December 2001; it was finalized on October 15, 2002.[168][169]
In February 2011, Barrymore began dating Will Kopelman, an art consultant and the son ofArie L. Kopelman, who had once beenchief operating officer of the French fashion houseChanel.[173] Kopelman proposed to Barrymore inSun Valley, Idaho in December of that year, while the two were on aChristmas vacation, and media outlets reported on their engagement in January 2012.[174][175][176] They married on June 2, 2012, in a garden-themedJewish ceremony at her home inMontecito, California; Barrymore wore a Chanel wedding gown.[177][178] Barrymore gave birth to their first child three months later, and to their second child in 2014.[179][180][181] During her marriage to Kopelman, Barrymore expressed an interest inconverting to Judaism, his faith, calling it a "beautiful faith," but never did.[182] Barrymore announced her separation from Kopelman on April 2, 2016. They filed for divorce on July 15, 2016 and it was finalized on August 3, 2016.[183][184][185] In 2020, Barrymore toldPeople she would never get married again.[186] Kopelman marriedVogue director Alexandra "Allie" Michler in 2021 and Barrymore has spoken positively of her relationship with Michler, saying she is a wonderful stepmother.[187] Barrymore moved toManhattan in 2023 so that her children could be closer to Kopelman.[188][189]
In an 2003 interview with New Woman magazine, Barrymore said: "Do I like women sexually? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself bisexual. I love a woman's body. I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else". She added "I don’t think I could ever just solely be with a woman…It’s just not enough for me."[191][192][193]
Barrymore's films compiled a worldwide box office gross that stood at over US$2.3 billion. According toThe Hollywood Reporter's annual Star Salary Top 10, she was tied for eighth place on the top ten list of actresses' salaries, commanding 10 to 12 million dollars per film in 2006.[199]
Barrymore became the youngest person to hostSaturday Night Live, having hosted on November 20, 1982, at seven years of age, a record that remains unbroken as of 2024[update].[200][201] On February 3, 2007, Barrymore hostedSNL for the fifth time, becoming the second female host (afterCandice Bergen) in the show's history to do so.[75] She hosted again on October 10, 2009, becoming the first woman to host six times.[202]
Following a highly publicized childhood marked by drug and alcohol abuse, she released an autobiography,Little Girl Lost, which became aNew York Times best seller.[1]E. P. Dutton published a collection of Barrymore's autobiographical essays in her bookWildflower in 2015, for which she also narrated theaudiobook version; it was also a bestseller.[205][206]
^Hruska, Bronwen (May 14, 1999). "Summer Sneaks Drew, We Hardly Knew Ye The littlest Barrymore finally seems back on track in solid film roles. Though she's already lived several lives, her future looks bright. After all, she's only 20".Los Angeles Times: 5.
^McCarthy, Todd (May 19, 1992)."Review: 'Guncrazy'".Variety.Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. RetrievedDecember 12, 2017.
^Harrington, Richard (April 19, 1993)."'No Place to Hide' (R)".Archived from the original on December 10, 2017. RetrievedAugust 26, 2017.
^"No Place to Hide".Box Office Mojo.Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. RetrievedApril 17, 2020.
^"Doppelganger (1993)".Rotten Tomatoes. December 17, 2002.Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 3, 2017.
^Ebert, Roger."Bad Girls". rogerebert.com.Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. RetrievedApril 17, 2020.
^Ebert, Roger (April 9, 1999)."Never Been Kissed Review".Chicago Sun-Times. Roger Ebert.com.Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. RetrievedJune 21, 2020.
^Schwarzbaum, Lisa (February 13, 2007)."Music and Lyrics".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. RetrievedJune 21, 2020.
^Lowry, Brian (May 2, 2007)."Lucky You".Variety.Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. RetrievedJune 21, 2020.
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