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An adorable child star who overcame an out-of-control
adolescence and reclaimed her post as America's mischievous but pure-hearted sweetheart, Drew Barrymore
rode a career rollercoaster spanning two decades before
the age of 25.
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Angel:
Dylan Sanders
The
tomboy of the Angels, Barrymore’s Dylan Sanders might
not go for that whole girly girl approach, but that
doesn’t keep her from being attractive as hell.
Dylan is a tomboy who can fight off a quintet of bad
guys while tied to a chair (in a scene that riffs on a
drugged and chair-bound Schwarzenegger's telling his
captors exactly how he'll escape from his cuffs and what
he'll do when he's out in "True Lies").
Like
Kate Jackson's Sabrina Duncan, Drew Barrymore's Dylan is
the ringleader. "Both of them bring their fellow Angels
all together and get them going," says Michael Pingel,
editor of the Angelic Heaven Web site. Both are the
unofficial leaders of the team.
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Drew
Barrymore Profile
Drew Blythe Barrymore was born on
February 22, 1975 in Culver City, California to a family
fully loaded with acting skill. Her father is actor John
Drew Barrymore Jr. (a.k.a. John Drew; born on June 4,
1932; died on November 29, 2004) and her mother is
actress Ildiko Jad Barrymore (a.k.a. Jaid, born in 1947,
also a hostess and author who dedicated her book,
Secrets of World-Class Lovers, to Drew). Her
grandparents were silent films legends, John Barrymore
Sr. (died on May 29, 1942, of pneumonia and cirrhosis of
the liver) and Dolores Costello (died on March 1, 1979,
of emphysema). Drew Barrymore is also the great niece of
famed actors, Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore, as
well as the goddaughter of Steven Spielberg and Anna
Strasberg.
Drew Barrymore made her own
acting debut at age 3 in the 1987 TV movie, Suddenly
Love. Three years later, Barrymore appeared on the big
screen in the 1980 science fiction drama, Altered
States. But it was in 1982 that the precocious,
sweet-faced, blond tyke burst into the American
consciousness in one of the most popular movies of all
time, E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial. Playing the youngest
of three children who help E.T. find his way home,
Barrymore launched her film career by capturing the
hearts of moviegoers of all ages.
Throughout her childhood, Barrymore appeared in a wide
range of big and small screen films, the best-known of
which was Firestarter (1984), in which she played the
petulant Charlie McGee, a little girl with telekinetic
fire-starting abilities linked to her bouts of anger.
But Barrymore's acting career soon took a back seat to
her troubled personal life. At age nine, Barrymore had
her first drink, by ten she was smoking pot, and by the
time she was 12 she was hooked on cocaine. Two years
later, she attempted suicide, and began a string of
stints in rehab. Despite finding steady work in
little-seen films such as Babes in Toyland (1986), See
You in the Morning (1989), and Far From Home (1989), the
caliber of Barrymore's acting disintegrated along with
her personal life. Soon her tabloid appearances
outnumbered her acting roles, and many saw Drew as heir
to the "Barrymore curse."
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In 1989, the 15-year-old became the youngest person ever
to publish a memoir, Little Girl Lost, which chronicled
her battles with addiction. But beneath the teenager's
troubles lay a steely determination to succeed in the
family business.
Still possessing the angelic glow of her childhood, but
with an added air of trouble, Barrymore portrayed
Lolita-like teens in "Poison Ivy" (1992), "Guncrazy"
(1992) and the ABC-TV movie "The Amy Fisher Story"
(1993), based on the sordid case of the Long Island
teenager who shot the wife of her former lover. The
actress returned to big-budgeted features with the
disappointing Western "Bad Girls" (1994), then was cast
alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Mary-Louise Parker in the
touching "Boys on the Side" (1995), a female road movie
that capitalized on Barrymore's undeniable charm, and
showcased an acting depth that had not previously been
completely realized. |
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In 1995, she took on two other disparate roles,
first playing a suicidal teen opposite Chris
O'Donnell in the sweetly acted if critically
panned "Mad Love,” followed by a cameo role as
the glitzy but inherently childlike femme fatale
Sugar in "Batman Returns,” a Marilyn Monroe
inspired character that it seemed Barrymore was
born to play. This role reunited her with Joel
Schumacher, a big supporter of hers who gave her
a break on the enjoyable "2000 Malibu Road,” a
short-lived trashy soap on CBS in 1992.
Blonde and beautiful, with a warm, open smile and a
somewhat devilish fire in her eyes, Barrymore certainly
looks like the perfect American icon, a fact not lost on
director Wes Craven who hired her for a pivotal role in
his tongue-in-cheek slasher flick "Scream" (1996). As
the biggest name in the cast, Barrymore brilliantly
opted for the role of the first victim, helping to
establish the film as a new thriller experience, bucking
the preset conventions of the horror genre. She followed
with a turn in the ensemble of Woody Allen's odd musical
"Everyone Says I Love You" (1996), gracefully and
sympathetically portraying a tony New York City daughter
of privilege, reminding audiences and co-stars alike of
her Hollywood royalty roots. (Although unlike her
co-stars, her singing voice was dubbed by a
professional.) Barrymore had a popular hit with 1998's
"The Wedding Singer,” perfectly playing the sweetly
captivating Julia opposite Adam Sandler in this
enjoyable 1980s-set romantic comedy.
Also in 1998, the actress happily took on Cinderella in
"Ever After,” embroidering the story with a female
empowering modern sensibility. Barrymore was thrilled
with the character, a smart, sensitive, but staunch
young woman dealing with family issues, as well as the
structure of the film, which differed from the
traditional beautiful girl with ugly oppressors saved by
a fairy godmother story. The result was a charming and
affirming romance, with Barrymore proving more than
capable of carrying a film as the primary star. The
quirky comedy "Home Fries" (1998) came next, starring
the actress as a pregnant fast food worker who falls in
love with the her unborn child's adult would-be
stepbrother (played by Barrymore's then-companion Luke
Wilson). The actress veritably lit up the screen with
her inimitable spirit and radiance. A sharp and
thoughtful businesswoman as well, her Flower Films
(formed in 1994) secured a deal with Fox 2000 that led
to the charming 1999 comedy "Never Been Kissed,” in
which she essayed a twentysomething reporter posing as a
high school student for an undercover assignment.
Drew winningly played Josie Geller, a nerdy
newspaper employee sent undercover back to high
school. Though the film was not a critical
success, Barrymore's star remained undimmed. |
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By 1999, Barrymore was earning $3 million a picture, and
had won the respect of Hollywood as a talented actress,
an audience favorite, and one of the rare young female
stars who can single-handedly carry a picture. From child star to troubled teen
to blonde bombshell to box office gold, Drew Barrymore
has spent most of her life in the public eye. But she is
just now beginning to come into her own as a film
actress—and one can only eagerly await the performances
yet to emerge from one of the film industry's most
exciting young stars.
During her post-rehab comeback, Barrymore reappeared in
the gossip columns with colorful extracurricular antics.
Unlike her previous drug related escapades, the young
woman seemed much more in control of every situation,
with some spontaneous free-spirited nudity ranking as
the most shocking of her activities. |
Among the more memorable capers was a birthday
dance for bemused talk show host David Letterman
which culminated in her flashing her breasts for
Dave's eyes only.
Barrymore
additionally garnered much newsprint by stripping on
stage at a trendy New York performance space and posing
for Playboy. In another movie star rite-of-passage, she
endured a month-long marriage to a Welsh bar owner.
Audiences responded positively to her carefree spirit
and the harmless stunts that peppered the actress' road
to adulthood.
Charlie's Angels
Under her banner Flower Films productions,
Barrymore joined forces with Cameron Diaz and
Lucy Liu in a big screen version of the 70s
classic TV series "Charlie's Angels" (2000). A
box-office hit, the film was, in the words of
one critic, "an appealing mix of sexy,
tongue-in-cheek fun; high-energy action; slick
production values; and more chick-flick worthy
outfits/hairdos than you can bat an eyelash at."
The
following year, Barrymore undertook her most demanding
role to date, portraying a teenager who gets pregnant,
eventually marries and then raises her child as a single
mother in "Riding in Cars with Boys.” Playing a
character that aged from 16 to her mid-30s, she offered
a strong turn that showed a previously untapped range
and depth. |
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Barrymore has also displayed a certain savvy behind the
scenes, serving as a producer on several projects via
her company, Flower Films, with her partner Nancy
Juvonen. Along with producing and developing her own
starring vehicles—including "Never Been Kissed,"
"Charlie's Angels" and a remake of "Barbarella"—she also
shepherded the much-admired "Donnie Darko" (2001) in
which she had a small role. In 2002, Barrymore
co-starred with Julia Robert in "Confessions of a
Dangerous Mind," directed by George Clooney, delivering
a more womanly performance as Penny, the somewhat
fictionalized girlfriend of real-life game show producer
Chuck Barris. Displaying her typical warmth and patented
adorable qualities, Barrymore was also mature, real and
vulnerable. She next reunited with Diaz and Liu for the
sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" (2003). |
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The trio demonstrated, once again, their expertise as
masters of espionage, martial arts, and disguise, and as
producer of the film Barrymore scored a major
buzz-building coup by personally luring Hollywood
expatriate Demi Moore out of semi-retirement to play the
movie's villainess. That same year, Barrymore also
produced and co-starred in the broad comedy "Duplex"
opposite Ben Stiller, playing an upwardly mobile couple
whose home owning dreams become a nightmare when they
encounter the seemingly sweet old lady next door.
In 2004, just days after becoming the sixth member of
her famed family to receive a star of Hollywood's Walk
of Fame, Barrymore was reunited on-screen with her
"Wedding Singer" co-star Sandler in "50 First Dates," a
screwy romantic comedy that cast her as Lucy Whitmore, a
woman who suffers from a disorder that eliminates her
short term memory each day, forcing a smitten
veterinarian (Sandler) to win her heart anew every 24
hours. Again wearing the hats of both producer and star,
Barrymore returned to the romantic comedy genre again
for "Fever Pitch" (2005), playing a corporate climber
whose idyllic romance with a schoolteacher (Jimmy
Fallon) is threatened by his insane devotion to the
Boston Red Sox. The film, directed by the Farrelly
brothers from the Nick Hornby novel, was a winsome,
appealing effort that showcased both stars warm-hearted
charm.
Next she generously made an all-important appearance in
tyro filmmaker Brian Herzlinger's shameless "My Date
With Drew" (2005), a documentary chronicling his
attempts to meet Barrymore, a supposed lifelong crush,
in 30 days before having to return the video camera he
purchased—the film's attempts to be goofily romantic
were undermined by the real objects of Herzlinger's
infatuation: himself and his nascent film career. After
voicing the schoolteacher Maggie in the animated
“Curious George” (2006), Barrymore played the quirky
plant lady with a penchant for writing lyrics who falls
for a washed-up ‘80s pop star (Hugh Grant) struggling to
write a hit song in the middling romantic comedy “Music
& Lyrics” (2007). Barrymore then appeared in director
Curtis Hanson’s relationship drama, “Lucky You” (2007),
playing a young singer from Bakersfield with more heart
than talent pursued by an exceptionally talented poker
player (Eric Bana) who takes advantage of his opponents
across the table, but actively avoids long-term
commitments in his personal life. | |
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