-> 

v

"I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows." Drew Barrymore is probably one of the more unlikely success stories in Hollywood. After basically falling into fame as a child, Barrymore went through a phase of absolute rockstar wildness. Before she was old enough to drive a car, she was getting into more trouble than people that were twice her age.

 -> 

v

Despite her rocky reputation, Barrymore has become one of the more celebrated performers of her generation. Thanks to her ability to rebound from struggles, Barrymore continues to perform at a high level, more than 35 years after making her Hollywood debut. Now a member of Hollywood royalty, there hasn't been a better time to look back on the life of Drew Barrymore!

Born in Culver City

Drew Barrymore was born on February 22, 1975, in Culver City, California. Barrymore was born to John Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore. Jaid had been born in a displacement camp in West Germany, home to refugees from Hungary during World War II. John Barrymore had been an established actor with numerous credits to his name, including a starring role in High Lonesome (1950). Barrymore came from a family rich with Hollywood history. Her grandparents were notable actors and her godmothers were Sophia Loren and Anna Strasberg. Barrymore's relationship with Anna Strasberg would become particularly important in her growth as an actress and as a person. Barrymore also had three siblings and a half-brother named John. Her parents would end up getting divorced in 1984, just nine years after Barrymore had been born.

 -> 

v

Barrymore grew up in West Hollywood on Poinsettia Place before her family relocated to Sherman Oaks. Due to where she grew up, Barrymore quickly adopted the 'valley girl' accent that she has since become famous for. After becoming emancipated as a teenager, Barrymore would move back to West Hollywood. Barrymore's childhood was incredibly troubled. Due to her early success and lack of parental oversight, Barrymore would end up in rehab at the young age of 13. She also spent time in a mental wellness institution.

Finding Mainstream Success

Before Drew Barrymore could even talk, she was acting. At just 11-months-old, Barrymore would land a commercial for a dog food company. She would go on to appear in several minor productions before landing her star-making role in the Stephen Spielberg film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Barrymore was an instant star and E.T. would quickly become one of Spielberg's greatest hits. Thanks to her efforts, Barrymore would score a Young Artist Award.

 -> 

v

For Drew Barrymore, success has rarely been linear. However, in the early portion of her career, Barrymore was completely focused on her film work. After E.T., she would land a starring role in the Stephen King adaptation, Firestarter (1984). The film would become a hit, and she would continue to surge forward with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Irreconcilable Differences (1984).

Despite her early successes, or perhaps because of them, Barrymore quickly found herself bombing out of the industry. Her public troubles would end up costing Barrymore roles, but she'd eventually get back on the straight and narrow. She would work with Alice Krige and Jeff Bridges in the 1989 film, See You In The Morning. Barrymore would then land a leading role in the box office failure, Poison Ivy (1992) which would become popular on cable. Her character, Ivy, ended up on Entertainment Weekly's top 'bad girl' character list. In 1995, Barrymore would establish her own production company named Flower Films.

 -> 

v

In 1996, Barrymore hit her stride with mainstream America. She would land a major role in the hit blockbuster horror, Scream before landing a starring role in the Woody Allen musical, Everybody Says I Love You. Barrymore would continue to enjoy her upward ascent as she landed starring roles in The Wedding Singer (1996), Ever After (1998), and Never Been Kissed (1998). Barrymore would go on to star and produce in the hit action-comedy, Charlie's Angels (1999) alongside Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Bill Murray. The film would get a sequel in 2003 when Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was released. 

Barrymore and Adam Sandler would reunite for 50 First Dates (2004) before doing another film together in 2011 titled Blended. Barrymore's ability to jump into irreverent comedies on a whim would end up becoming her calling card for the era. She would land roles in He's Just Not That Into You (2009) and Grey Gardens, for which she won a Golden Globe award. Barrymore also landed a recurring role on the hit animated series Family Guy (2005) as Jillian Russell, the love interest of Brian the Dog.

 -> 

v

Most recently, Barrymore has been winning a new generation of fans thanks to her work on the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet (2017). The series also starred Timothy Olyphant and it focused on two regular suburban parents thrust into an increasingly horrific (and comedic) world. The conceit of the series is that one day, Barrymore's character wakes up as a zombie, and Olyphant's character has to make sure that she stays fed. The series was recently canceled, though not before crafting a massive following. Barrymore is currently set to star in a new film by Jamie Babbit called The Stand-In. Throughout her career, films with Drew Barrymore in them have accrued a jaw-dropping $2.3 billion in box office earnings.

Drew Barrymore has worked in fashion since she was a child. She became a CoverGirl spokeswoman and model in 2007 and remains in the role today. Barrymore has also modeled for a line of Gucci jewelry and, as funny as it sounds, Crocs. In her private life, Barrymore has been married to Jeremy Thomas, Tom Green, and Will Kopelman. She is the godmother of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's child, Frances Bean Cobain.  Barrymore has two children of her own. She is currently single.