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At this point, I think Drew Barrymore, in her current incarnation, is sort of an acquired taste. These days, Drew is a talk show hostess and her own brand. She barely acts anymore, and she’s known for her convincing celebrities to spill all on her show. She’s also turning 50 years old on February 22, an age where many people take stock of their lives and figure out what’s next. Drew has two daughters, three divorces, she’s living in NYC full-time and she doesn’t seem to be worried about much, actually. She genuinely seems to have figured out what works for her, at long last. Drew covers the latest issue of AARP magazine, and she talks about turning 50, her nonexistent dating life and more. Some highlights:
Turning 50: “I’m thrilled. [Grey’s Anatomy’s] Ellen Pompeo was on the show, and she described turning 50 as getting this superpower where you finally stop fretting and driving yourself crazy. This last decade has been ass-kicking.”
Tipping points: “Steven Spielberg and Flower Films were two giant tipping points in my life. The third and biggest turning point for me was having kids.” Being a mom has rocked her world to its core, she says. So much so, that she has currently sworn off men, booze and acting to focus on being “present” for her girls as she works on the fifth season of her Emmy-winning, feel-good talk show. For the Big 5-Oh, her only birthday wish is to cook with friends, hang out at home with Olive and Frankie, blare some Beatles, and “do some real middle-aged woman s—.”
What happened to her after ET: “I went through an awkward puberty. I was not that cute, model-y little kid. I was heavy. I had crazy hair. My eyes looked sad. It was real rough patch. At age 11 or 12, I couldn’t get work. Then I went into the institution, and everyone thought I was so screwed up. When I got out I was 15 and going on auditions but couldn’t get a job. I would sit there and they’d literally tell me, “You’re too fat. You’re too old. You’re too young. You’re too blond. You’re not blond enough.” I felt angry toward people who wanted to alter me to fit the mold. I thought, “That’s on you. I’m not going to allow you to make me not who I am.”
What she’s learned from her actress life: “I didn’t have a family and I really wanted one. E.T. taught me you could build families at work. Ever After taught me never to be someone who didn’t take care of themselves at the end of the day, who waits to be rescued, rather than rescuing themselves. That was the ultimate life lesson from that one. With Adam Sandler and The Wedding Singer, I learned you can form lifelong friendships. I stalked Adam and told him, “I have a premonition. It may sound crazy, but I believe you and I are supposed to work together numerous times. I don’t know why I think this, but I really do. And it’s so palpable. I have to tell you.” And I mean, we’ve done three movies, like one every 10 years, and it’s been really important to me. With Charlie’s Angels I learned that women can be the greatest support for each other, and that women can do anything that they want. And they don’t have to pretend to be men or hate men to do that.
The end of her third marriage: “At 40, I was married and having kids and was like, “Well, I’ve done this. I’m doing it. I’m in it.” But my dream, to have this solid family, did not happen. I thought nothing could be worse than what I went through as a kid, but the divorce was so much worse. It just shocked the s— out of me. I really broke as a human being. I had two young kids and I didn’t know what I wanted to do for work or in life. My dream family was falling apart and I didn’t know how to put one foot in front of the other. And I had grown up so fast but now I didn’t know what age to feel—I just knew that my life was heavy, and painful and sad—and I sat in that for a while. Eventually, thank goodness, I lifted myself out of it. I had two kids and I had to figure it out. They’re literally worth everything, and I’m going to love them, and be inspired by them, and not be codependent. They can be my why, but I think I know how to do this without making them the center of my universe.
Whether she’s interested in dating right now: “My house is really full of a lot of women. It’s a constant hive feeling. My girlfriends are here. I work with other women. There’s a real commune feeling. It’s not like we’re in this lonely household. Would it be nice if someone came into my life? I don’t even know who fits into this. I date occasionally, but no way am I ready to open that door. My girls say I should go on dates, but I also know how I felt when men were around when I was little—it didn’t feel safe to me, so I’m probably overcautious from those experiences.
I’ve often noticed that with the generation below Drew’s – the women who are in their 30s and early 40s right now – they always talk about how their 20s were absolute garbage and their 30s were when they finally figured out their lives. It’s interesting that Drew has had all of these periods of growth, then decline, then growth again, then a whole decade where she felt as low as possible. Her third divorce really kicked her ass and I understand how she just wanted to simplify and not have any romance or dating life, although I wonder if that will always be the case from here on out.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
