Drew Barrymore first captured the hearts of audiences as a young actress when she starred in E.T.: The Extraterrestrial in 1982. A descendent of the Barrymore family, she was born to act; not only were her parents both performing actors, but her grandparents and great-grandparents were also involved in the show business back in the day. Following suit, the blonde beauty made her first appearance on national television in a dog food commercial at the tender age of eleven months.
The god daughter of renowned film director Steven Speilberg, she eventually made her debut on the big screen when she was five years old in the science fiction horror film, Altered States (1980). However it wasn’t until she landed the part of Gertie in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestial that her popularity as a child actress exploded. Although she experienced a turbulent childhood marked by years of alcohol and drug abuse, she eventually overcame difficulties and successfully re-established herself as a adult actress in the mid to late 1990’s.
Just two years after her time on E.T.: The Extra-Terrestial, Barrymore landed another prominent role in the thriller film, Firestarter (1984) at the age of nine. Over the next couple of years, she also starred in Irreconcilable Differences (1984) and Cat’s Eye (1985). Despite her initial success however, her career eventually began to decline after word of her alcohol and drug issues made its way to the public. While she continued to take part in a number of minor roles, it wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that she returned to the spotlight with a solid performance in the comedy-drama film, Boys on the Side (1995). Although she went through troubled childhood, her talent in acting has never swayed; throughout her multi-decade career, Barrymore has been honoured with countless awards including three Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, three Kid’s Choice Awards, three MTV Movie Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, three Young Artist Awards, amongst many others. In 2004, she was also given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Aside from her work as an actress, Barrymore is also an established model, producer and author. In 1990, she wrote an autobiography entitled Little Girl Lost in which she spoke of the difficulties which she’d faced as a child with drug and alcohol. A CoverGirl Model, she was named as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nation World Food Programme and has since donated over one million dollars to the cause. Considering her fame, it’s also not surprising to know that she’s been featured in multiple TV talk shows over the years including Dr. Phil (2005), Late Night with Conan O’Brien (2007), The Oprah Winfrey Show (2008), The Hour (2009), and Late Show with David Letterman (2010), amongst numerous others.
So what has the former child actress been up to in the recent years? Where has her work brought her? What happened to Drew Barrymore? Where is she now in 2018?
Drew Barrymore’s Upbringing and Early Start in the Show Biz
As expected from someone born into the Barrymore family, she made her television debut at the extraordinary age of eleven months, when she appeared in a dog food commercial; although the producers were worried that she was going to cry during the audition, Barrymore ultimately laughed instead, which earned her the part. When she was five years old, she appeared on the big screen for the first time in the science fiction horror, Altered States (1980). Just two years afterwards, she received a breakthrough in her career when she was cast as Gertie in the science-fiction fantasy, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Released in theatres in the summer of 1982, it revolved around a lonely boy named Elliott who befriends an extra-terrestial on Earth; together with his siblings, he then helps to return “E.T.” home while keeping everything a secret from his parents. A huge box office hit, it grossed over $792 million from a $10.5 million budget. For her performance as Gertie, Elliot’s five year old sister, Barrymore received a Young Artist Award for “Best Supporting Actress.” Her time on E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial was ultimately monumental in the launching of her acting career as a child.
In the fall of 1984, Barrymore was cast as one of the main characters in the comedy film, Irreconcilable Differences. Directed by Charles Shyer, it centred around a precocious young girl named Casey Brodsky, who sues her career-oriented parents for emancipation to the surprise of them both. Met with generally positive reviews upon its release, it was a minor hit at the box office, having grossed over $12 million from a $6 budget. While Barrymore played the part of Casey, other starring actors of the cast included Shelley Long, Ryan O’Neal, Sam Wanamaker, Sharon Stone and Allen Garfield. Praised for her flawless performance, Barrymore was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the category of “Best Supporting Actress” later that year.
Drew Barrymore’s Troubled Childhood and Rebellious Era
Despite her rise in fame, Barrymore grew increasingly more troubled in her pre-teen years. Addicted to smoking cigarettes at the age of nine, she later began drinking alcohol when she was eleven years old. From there, it only grew worse as she started to smoke marijuana at twelve and snorting cocaine at thirteen. By the time she was fourteen, Barrymore was sent into rehab; she eventually spent over a year and a half in an institution for the mentally-ill. The actress would later address these issues in her 1990 autobiography, Little Girl Lost. When she was fifteen years old, she successfully petitioned for emancipation at the juvenile court, which led to her moving into her own condo.
In spite of her troubles, Barrymore continued to take part in a number of smaller films such as See You in the Morning (1989), Far From Home (1991), and Poison Ivy (1991). However despite her best efforts, she had difficulty abstaining from substances and soon found herself in and out of rehab and clinics. When she was nineteen, she married a bar owner named Jeremy Thomas; however the relationship did not last long as it ended in a divorce within three months. During that time, the blonde continued to engage in various controversial behaviour, such as exposing herself on live television and posing nude for Playboy Magazine.
Drew Barrymore’s Return to the Spotlight as an Actress
The next year, the blonde appeared in a handful of film projects including the musical comedy, Everyone Says I Love You, alongside Julia Roberts, Edward Norton, Alan Alda and Gaby Hoffmann. Released in December 1996, it revolved around a girl named Skylar who sets up her father to meet up with a beautiful woman who happens to be in a troubled marriage. Although it wasn’t met with much success in the box office, it was met with many positive reviewsーfor instance, Robert Ebert, a critic from Chicago Suns Times ranked it to be one of director Woody Allen’s best works. In January 1997, Everyone Says I Love You was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the category of “Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy.”
After a series of projects throughout the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Barrymore played the part of an amnesiac in the romantic comedy film, 50 First Dates. Written by George Wing, it opened in theaters in February 2004 and quickly became a huge hit, grossing over $196 million from a $75 million budget. Mainly shot in Oahu, Hawaii, it centred around a man named Henry Roth, who eventually falls in love with a woman named Lucy, only to discover that she suffers from short-term memory loss. while the blonde actress played the part of Lucy Whitmore, the female protagonist, actor Adam Sandler portrayed the role of Henry Roth. Other actors involved in the film include Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark and Amy Hill. Praised for its uplifting story, 50 First Dates garnered Barrymore and Sandler an MTV Movie Award for “Best On-Screen Team.”
Over the next years, the actress continued to star in a number of films including Fever Pitch (2005), Lucky You (2007), He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), and Everybody’s Fine (2009), amongst others. In 2010, she was cast in yet another romantic comedy called Going the Distance, opposite of actor Justin Longーwho played the part of her on-screen partner. Released in September 2010, it grossed close to $7 million in its opening weekend, despite the fact that it was met with mixed reviews from critics. Directed by Nanette Burstein, Going the Distance revolved around a young couple, Erin and Garrett, who despite having to live in different cities, find themselves shuttle back and forth between San Francisco and New York to visit one another. Eventually grossing over $42 at the box office, it also starred actors Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate.
What’s Drew Barrymore Doing Now in 2018? Let’s Find Out!
Although Barrymore has been busy with her work as an executive producer for a number of projects (e.g. How to Be Single, Rattled, Freak Show, Blooms), it was announced this year that the blonde was going to star in an upcoming Netflix original series called, Santa Clarita Diet. Created by Victor Fresco, the comedy is set to contain 13 episodes and is scheduled to premiere in early February of 2017. According to the preliminary synopsis, it will revolve around a pair of real estate agents, Sheila and Joelーwho also happen to be husband and wife. How will the story unfold? Only time can tell.
