Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in ''Altered States'' in 1980. Afterwards, she starred in her breakout role in ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. She quickly became one of Hollywood's most recognized child actors, going on to establish herself in mainly comic roles.
Following a turbulent childhood which was marked by drug and alcohol abuse and two stints in rehab, Barrymore wrote the 1990 autobiography, ''Little Girl Lost''. She successfully made the transition from child star to adult actress with a number of films including ''Poison Ivy'', ''Bad Girls'', ''Boys on the Side'', and ''Everyone Says I Love You''. Subsequently, she established herself in romantic comedies such as ''The Wedding Singer'' and ''Lucky You''.
In 1995, she and business partner Nancy Juvonen formed the production company Flower Films, with its first production the 1999 Barrymore film ''Never Been Kissed''. Flower Films has gone on to produce the Barrymore vehicle films ''Charlie's Angels'', ''50 First Dates'', and ''Music and Lyrics'', as well as the cult film ''Donnie Darko''. Barrymore's more recent projects include ''He's Just Not That into You'', ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'', ''Everybody's Fine'' and ''Going the Distance''. A recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Barrymore appeared on the cover of the 2007 ''People'' magazine's 100 Most Beautiful issue.
Barrymore was named Ambassador Against Hunger for the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Since then, she has donated over US$1 million to the program. In 2007, she became both CoverGirl's newest model and spokeswoman for the cosmetic and the face for Gucci's newest jewelry line. In 2010, she was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for her portrayal of Little Edie in ''Grey Gardens''.
Early life
Barrymore was born in
Culver City, California, the daughter of American actor
John Drew Barrymore and
Jaid Barrymore ( Makó), an aspiring actress. Barrymore's mother was born in a
Displaced Persons camp in
Brannenburg, West Germany to Hungarian
World War II refugees. Barrymore's father was of mainly English and Irish ancestry. Her parents divorced after she was born. She has one half-brother,
John Blyth Barrymore, also an actor, and two half-sisters, Blyth Dolores Barrymore and (Brahma) Jessica Blyth Barrymore.
Barrymore was born into acting: her great-grandparents Maurice Barrymore and Georgie Drew Barrymore, Maurice Costello and Mae Costello ( Altschuk) and her grandparents John Barrymore and Dolores Costello, were all actors; John Barrymore was arguably the most acclaimed actor of his generation. She is the niece of Diana Barrymore and the grandniece of Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore and Helene Costello, the great-great-granddaughter of John Drew and actress Louisa Lane Drew, and the great grandniece of Broadway idol John Drew, Jr. and silent film actor/writer/director Sidney Drew. She is also the god-daughter of director Steven Spielberg, and Sophia Loren.
Her first name, ''Drew'', was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother, ''Georgie Drew Barrymore''; her middle name, ''Blyth'', was the original surname of the dynasty founded by her great-grandfather, ''Maurice Barrymore''.
Career
Early career
Barrymore's career began when she was auditioned for a dog food commercial at 11 months old. When she was bitten by her canine co-star, the producers were afraid she would cry, but she merely laughed, and was hired for the job. She made her film debut in ''Altered States'' (1980), in which she got a small part. A year later, she landed the role of Gertie, the younger sister of Elliott, in ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', which made her famous. She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1984 for her role in ''Irreconcilable Differences'', in which she starred as a young girl divorcing her parents. In a review in the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', Roger Ebert states: "Barrymore is the right actress for this role precisely because she approaches it with such grave calm."
Rebellious era
In the wake of this sudden stardom, Barrymore endured a notoriously troubled childhood. She was already a regular at the famed
Studio 54 when she was a little girl, smoking cigarettes at age nine, drinking alcohol by the time she was 11, smoking
marijuana at 12, and snorting
cocaine at 13. Her nightlife and constant partying became a popular subject with the media. She was in rehab at age 13. A suicide attempt at age 14 put her back in rehab, followed by a three-month stay with singer
David Crosby and his wife. The stay was precipitated, Crosby said, because she "needed to be around some people that were committed to
sobriety." Barrymore later described this period of her life in her autobiography, ''Little Girl Lost.'' The next year, following a successful juvenile court petition for
emancipation, she moved into her own apartment.
In her late teens, her rebelliousness played itself out on screen and in print. Barrymore forged an image as a manipulative teenage seductress, beginning with the film ''Poison Ivy'' (1992), which was a box office failure, but was popular on video and cable. That same year, at the age of 17, she posed nude for the cover of the July issue of ''Interview'' magazine with her then-fiancé, actor Jamie Walters, as well as appearing nude in pictures inside the issue. She also underwent breast reduction surgery in 1992, and has said on the subject:
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In 1993, Barrymore earned a second Golden Globe nomination, this time for the film ''Guncrazy''. Barrymore would go on to pose nude for the January 1995 issue of ''Playboy''. Steven Spielberg, who directed her in ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' when she was a child and was her godfather, gave her a quilt for her 20th birthday with a note that read, "Cover yourself up". Enclosed were copies of her ''Playboy'' pictures, with the pictures altered by his art department so that she appeared fully clothed. During a 1995 appearance on ''Late Show with David Letterman'', Barrymore climbed onto David Letterman's desk and bared her breasts to him, her back to the camera, in celebration of his birthday. She modeled in a series of ''Guess?'' jeans ads during this time.
Return to prominence
In 1995, Barrymore starred in ''
Boys on the Side'' opposite
Whoopi Goldberg and
Mary-Louise Parker, and had a
cameo role in
Joel Schumacher's film ''
Batman Forever'', in which she portrayed a moll to
Tommy Lee Jones' character,
Two-Face. The following year, she made a cameo in the successful
horror film ''
Scream''. Barrymore has continued to be highly
bankable, and a top box office draw. She was frequently cast in
romantic comedies such as ''
Wishful Thinking'' (1997), ''
The Wedding Singer'' (1998), and ''
Home Fries'' (1998). Barrymore's role in the costume drama ''
Ever After'' (1998) offered a modern take on the classic fairy tale of Cinderella and served as a reminder, according to Roger Ebert, of how well Drew Barrymore "can hold the screen and involve us in her characters".
Besides a number of appearances in films produced by her company, Flower Films, including ''Charlie's Angels'', Barrymore had a dramatic role in the comedy/drama ''Riding in Cars with Boys'' (2001), playing a teenage mother in a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father (based on the real-life story of Beverly D'Onofrio).
In 2001, Drew participated in a benefit auction for the Red Hot Organization in conjunction with Amazon.com which ran from February 28 until April 11, 2001. The event featured rare RHO memorabilia and the work of Rolling Stone photographer Mark Seliger. Items auctioned at the event include signed proofs of Seliger's work, along with 50 autographed copies of his book and exhibition entitled "Physiognomy: The Mark Seliger Photographs." The books were created exclusively for the RHO, and each contained its own unique set of celebrity signatures.
In 2002, Barrymore appeared in ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'', alongside Sam Rockwell and Julia Roberts.
Flower Films and recent work
In 1995, Barrymore formed
Flower Films, a production company, with business partner
Nancy Juvonen. The first film produced by the company was 1999's ''
Never Been Kissed''. The second offering from the company was ''
Charlie's Angels'' (2000), a major box office success in 2000 that helped solidify the standing of both Barrymore and the company. When the production of
Richard Kelly's debut film, ''
Donnie Darko'', was threatened, Barrymore stepped forward with financing from Flower Films and took the small role of Karen Pomeroy, the title character's English teacher. Although the film was less than successful at the box office in the wake of
9/11, it reached cult film status after the DVD release, inspiring numerous websites devoted to unraveling the plot twists and meanings.
In 2003, she reprised her role as Dylan Sanders in ''Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle'', was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in ''Olive, the Other Reindeer'' and appeared with Ben Stiller in ''Duplex'' in 2003. Flower Films produced ''50 First Dates'' with co-star Adam Sandler's Happy Madison company in 2004. Summing up Barrymore's appeal, Roger Ebert, in his review of ''50 First Dates'', described Barrymore as having a "smiling, coy sincerity," describing the film as "ingratiating and lovable." ''50 First Dates'' was followed by ''Fever Pitch'' (2005), and in 2007, ''Music and Lyrics'' and ''Lucky You''. Barrymore's more recent projects include ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' in 2008, and 2009's ''He's Just Not That into You'', ''Grey Gardens'' and ''Everybody's Fine''. Barrymore's directorial debut film ''Whip It'', was released in October 2009. ''Whip It'' starred Ellen Page and Marcia Gay Harden and centered on an obsession with beauty pageants and the Austin, Texas, Hurl Scouts roller derby team. Barrymore also co-starred in the film.
Other career highlights
Barrymore began a recurring character in the animated comedy ''
Family Guy'' as
Brian Griffin's simple-minded girlfriend, Jillian. She has since appeared in ten episodes. She was the subject of the 2005 documentary ''
My Date with Drew''. In it, an aspiring filmmaker and a fan of Barrymore's, uses his limited resources in an attempt to gain a date with her. On February 3, 2004, she received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Barrymore's films have a worldwide box office gross that stands at over US$2.3 billion. According to ''The 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 movie for 2006. On February 3, 2007, Barrymore hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' (SNL) for the fifth time, making her the second female host (after Candice Bergen) in the show's history to do so. She hosted again on October 10, 2009, becoming the first female to host six times. Barrymore still holds the record as the youngest celebrity ever to host the show (1982, at age seven). Barrymore became a CoverGirl Cosmetics' model and spokeswoman in 2007,. Today, Drew Barrymore is still one of the faces for CoverGirl, alongside Queen Latifah and Taylor Swift. The company partnered up with Drew 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 has been brought not only her personality into this endorsement but also her creative side, as she is also a co-creator of the ads. She was No. 1 in ''People'''s annual 100 Most Beautiful People list in 2007.Also in 2007, she was named the new face for the Gucci jewelry line. Barrymore is signed to IMG Models New York City.
In May 2007, Barrymore was named Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme and later donated $1 million to the cause. In September 2010, Barrymore was confirmed to play the role of Ganga in the Indian Bollywood film ''The Lifestyle – In Generation Next'' to be directed by Santosh Kumar Jain, to be released in 2012.
Several articles and interviews reported Barrymore's taste for photography. As a guest photographer for a magazine series called "They Shoot New York," she appeared on the cover holding a Pentax K1000 film camera. She hopes to expose her work in a gallery one day, as she documented the last decade of her life with a Pentax camera.
Personal life
In 1991, at the age of 16, Barrymore became engaged to Leland Hayward, grandson of Hollywood producer Leland Hayward. After a few months, this engagement was called off. Barrymore was engaged to and lived with musician/actor Jamie Walters in 1992–93.
She was married to Welsh bartender turned bar owner Jeremy Thomas from March 20 to April 28, 1994. Barrymore married comedian Tom Green on July 7, 2001. Green filed for divorce in December 2001. The divorce was finalized on October 15, 2002.
In 2002, Barrymore began dating The Strokes' drummer Fabrizio Moretti, soon after they met at a concert. Their five year relationship ended on January 10, 2007. She dated actor Justin Long, but they confirmed their split in July 2008. The couple reunited in 2009 and co-starred in the 2010 film ''Going the Distance''. The two then reportedly split again in 2010 and Drew started dating the son of former Chanel CEO Will Kopelman.
Since the 1990s, Barrymore has been frequently mentioned as one of the few openly bisexual Hollywood personalities. In 2004, she was quoted as saying, "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. When I was younger I used to go with lots of women. Totally. I love it". In March 2007, former magazine editor Jane Pratt claimed on her Sirius Satellite Radio show that she had a romance with Barrymore in the mid-1990s.
Filmography
+ Director
|
! Year
|
! Film
|
Notes
|
2004
|
''Choose or Lose Presents: The Best Place to Start''
|
Director; Documentary
|
2009
|
|
|
2011
|
Our Deal
|
Music Video for Best Coast
|
References
Further reading
Aronson, Virginia. ''Drew Barrymore''. Chelsea House, 1999. ISBN 0-7910-5306-7
Bankston, John. ''Drew Barrymore''. Chelsea House Publishers, 2002. ISBN 0-7910-6772-6
Barrymore, Drew. ''Little Girl Lost''. Pocket Star Books, 1990. ISBN 0-671-68923-1
Ellis, Lucy. ''Drew Barrymore: The Biography''. Aurum Press, 2004. ISBN 1-84513-032-4
Hill, Anne E. ''Drew Barrymore''. Lucent Books, 2001. ISBN 1-56006-831-0
External links
Official Website at DrewBarrymore.com
Drew Barrymore Video with Johnny Carson
Category:1975 births
Category:Living people
Category:Actors from California
Category:American child actors
Category:American female models
Category:American film actors
Category:American film directors
Category:American film producers
Category:American voice actors
Category:American people of English descent
Category:Female film directors
Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Hungarian descent
Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States
Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
Category:People from Culver City, California
Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics
Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers
Category:20th-century actors
Category:21st-century actors
Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners
Category:Children of Entertainers
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