'I had let myself go due to personal circumstances': Drew Barrymore admits she lost 20lbs for her new show after split from Will Kopelman, as she says the role helped her to 'come alive'
- The 41-year-old appeared on the Today show on Friday morning with her co-star Timothy Olyphant to promote their new Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet
- Drew said the show came to her at a moment in her life where she had 'let [herself] go due to personal circumstances'
- The actress lost 20lbs to play Sheila, a real estate agent who becomes a zombie that feeds on human flesh
- Drew joked that the protein-rich diet is like a 'macabre Atkins'
- The co-stars also appeared at SiriusXM's Town Hall event with Andy Cohen on Friday after their Today show interview
Drew Barrymore and her ex-husband Will Kopelman have remained close despite their divorce last year, but the mother-of-two has admitted that before she started filming her new show, she had let herself go due to 'personal circumstances'.
The 41-year-old appeared on the Today show on Friday morning with her co-star Timothy Olyphant to promote their new Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet, and Drew dished about losing 20lbs for her role as Sheila, a real estate agent who becomes a zombie that feeds on human flesh.
'It came sort of the middle of a moment in my life where I had sort of let myself go due to personal circumstances, and I thought I could come alive with Sheila,' she told Today anchor Natalie Morales.
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Keeping it real: Drew Barrymore admitted that she had let herself go due to 'personal circumstances' before she lost 20lbs for her new show
Having a blast: The 41-year-old appeared on the Today show on Friday morning with her co-star Timothy Olyphant to promote their new Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet
Then and now: Drew is pictured with her now-ex-husband Will Kopelman in December 2015 (left) and in Germany last week (right)
However, Timothy, 48, wouldn't let away with Drew putting herself down in any way.
'Oh, come on. You showed up you looked great,' he told her, but Drew insisted the role was just what she needed.
'It was a really great goal line for me because I think as much as the weight loss everything's very subtle; it's attitudinal; it's empowerment; it's confidence,' she explained.
Right time: Drew said it was such a 'blessing' to come alive with her character Sheila, a real estate agent who becomes a zombie that feeds on human flesh
Having a laugh: Drew joked that eating human flesh is kind of like a 'macabre Atkins [diet]'
Outfit change: Drew visited the SiriusXM studio on Friday after her Today show appearance
Close co-stars: The actress happily struck a pose with Timothy at SiriusXM's Town Hall event
'It's all of these things that she's lost in her life that I feel like I sorta had lost in my life, and it was such a blessing to come alive with her and it really was so positive for me.'
Natalie noted that when she first saw a promo for the show, she thought it was about a diet, and she questioned whether or not they could get a diet book out of it thanks to Drew's stunning weight loss.
'If you're eating, in her case, human flesh, I basically thought, "Well, if a woman was just eating simple protein every day all day long she would lose weight,"' Drew noted. 'It's like a very macabre Atkins [diet].'
Having fun: Host Andy Cohen interviewed the stars about their new show for his exclusive SiriusXM channel Radio Andy
Happy family: Drew also posed with her former sister-in-law, SiriusXM host Jill Kargman
Better than ever: Drew stunned in a black blouse and pants at a photocall in Spain earlier this month
The actress also noted that her character Sheila has an 'incredible awakening' that brings her and her husband closer together, even though she is dead.
'It spices up our marriage, and also I love seeing a couple not fight,' she said. 'I love seeing a couple become stronger partners through this adversity.'
Drew and her ex-husband have two daughters together, Olive, four, and Frankie, two, and although their divorced was finalized in 2016, she and Will have remained friendly.
Gory fun: Drew and Timothy admitted that they filmed plenty of bloody scenes for their new Netflix series
Tight knit: Drew and will remain close, and on Sunday, she shared a photo of him and their daughter Frankie at the Women's March, noting that she is 'proud' of them
Doting mom: Drew is pictured with her daughters Olive and Frankie in 2014
Last Sunday, Drew took to Instagram to share a photo of her former husband holding their daughter Frankie on his shoulders while they participated in the Women's March.
Drew, who wrote that she was 'proud' of both of them, also posted a snapshot of her form in-laws at the protest.
'This is my family. Grammy @cocokopelman and Aunty @jillkargman cousins Fletch and @ivykargman,' she wrote. 'But most of all, the fact that Ivy made a sign with something I said, well, I might be the most proud I have ever been.'
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