Drew Barrymore tasted fame even before her milk teeth could fall. She made her acting debut at five in sci-fi horror, Altered States, but rose to fame with Steven Spielberg’s ET at seven. In the film, she played ‘Gertie’, a cute pigtailed, open-mouthed little girl. Soon, she established herself as a leading actress in Hollywood with roles in Poison Ivy, Scream, Charlie’s Angels, The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, Batman Forever, He’s Just Not That Into You and many others.
When kids at Drew’s age were going to school, doing homework, she had already entered the world of adults. The fame which she got from ET was soon going to vanish. Born to actor John Drew Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore, Drew had the most traumatic childhood. She dealt with substance abuse and even landed in a psychiatric ward.
Drew Barrymore began drinking at 9 and was addicted to substances at 12
Drew was nine when her parents got divorced, and her mom, Jaid, took her to Studio 54. Since her father walked out, her mother needed company, and Drew was the company. She went out to clubs with her mother and her friends at least five times a week. She was introduced to drugs and was encouraged to dance with famous young men, but she couldn’t cope. The child actress began drinking at 9, smoked marijuana at 10 and was addicted to cocaine at 12 and went to rehab. She was a popular name in the industry, but soon every studio blacklisted her.
Drew Barrymore was sent to a psychiatric ward at 13
If you think the actress has been through a lot, this is not just what she went through. At the age of 13, Drew was sent to a psychiatric ward by her mother after she cut her wrists. Many tests, such as schizophrenia, lithium and group therapy, were conducted for her. She stayed in the facility for 18 months. In an interview with The Guardian, Drew spoke about the same and called it the ‘lowest phase’ of her life and said:
However, the place taught her discipline. She revealed that since her childhood wasn’t normal, it was important for her to end up at the facility centre to know what a normal life looked like. When Drew turned 14, she legally separated from her mother as she was emancipated. She filed a petition in court to divorce her parents. Drew’s move was supported by her mother, and it led to her living on her own.
Drew Barrymore cleaned toilets to earn a living
After she separated from her parents, Drew began to live her life on her own terms. She started giving auditions, but the director would laugh at her guts. It was difficult for her to be a successful child actress at one point and to be unemployed for years. She didn’t lose hope and started doing odd jobs to survive. Drew revealed that she had worked at a coffee house and at a bar in London, where she was required to work early-morning shifts and clean the toilets.
Drew Barrymore’s second innings and co-founding a production house at 20
Drew Barrymore was back to what she was good at, i.e., acting. By the age of 17, she played the titular role in Poison Ivy. Over the next six years, she made 16 more films, including Bad Girls, Everyone Says I Love You, Batman Forever, Scream and The Wedding Singer. At 20, she co-founded her own production company, Flower Films, producing films like Never Been Kissed, Charlie’s Angels, Donnie Darko, 50 First Dates, and How to Be Single. In 2013, she launched Flower Beauty. In 2020, she launched her show, The Drew Barrymore Show. Her current net worth is reported to be USD 125 million.
From being blacklisted from Hollywood to being one of the most successful actresses, Drew Barrymore has come a long way.