Drew Barrymore Through the Years

Relive Drew Barrymore’s evolution from ‘E.T.’ and ‘Never Been Kissed’ to starting multiple companies and getting her own talk show — details

In the spotlight! Drew Barrymore has had her ups and downs — and they’ve all played out in the public eye. The former child star overcame a rough past and is now a Hollywood vet with more than 70 credits under her belt.

The California native launched onto the entertainment scene with the 1982 sci-fi E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was directed by her godfather, Steven Spielberg. The following year, she presented at the Academy Awards at age 4.

Barrymore was born into an acting legacy thanks to her father, John Drew Barrymore, who was an actor. Her great uncle Lionel Drew famously played Mr. Potter in Frank Capra’s 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life.

The actress’ early years in Hollywood weren’t always glamorous, however. She took her first drink at 9, struggled with depression and went to a drug-and-alcohol rehab to get sober at 14. She also was estranged from her mom but recently revealed that she financially supports her.

Today, Barrymore is a box office success. She’s starred in a strings of hits — including Never Been Kissed, The Wedding Singer, Charlie’s Angels and He’s Just Not That Into You. She’s added director to her résumé and made a splash on TV with Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet, which lasted three seasons from 2017 to 2019.

Off set, Barrymore has had tough times with love as well. The author and Flower Beauty creator previously married Welsh bar owner Jeremy Thomas in March 1994 and was briefly married to Tom Green in 2001. She and her third husband, art consultant Will Kopelman, announced in April 2016 that they were divorcing after three years of marriage.

“It was just like my worst nightmare,” Barrymore said of the split during The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2017. Still, the pair have remained amicable and coparent their daughters Olive and Frankie. “I got two families,” she continued. “I went from, like, zero to two and it’s a miracle and a blessing, and we do it in a way that I think a lot of other people are probably doing it too and sometimes, again, the road is different than what you tried to make it or what you expected and you just figure it out and figure it out with grace.”

The Whip It actress has continued to prove she is resilient both on and off screen, most recently adding talk show host to her impressive resume. The mother of two launched The Drew Barrymore Show in September 2020, which features kitchen segments, DIY tutorials, celebrity interviews and a virtual comedy club.