Drew Barrymore started her acting career early, appearing in an advertisement when she was just eleven months old. She made her film debut in Altered States in 1980, followed by her role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial—the role that got her on her way to stardom. Drew’s father, who was addicted to drugs and alcohol, left before she was born, so her mother raised her alone—the word “raised” being a bit of a misnomer.
Drew’s stardom was too sudden, and she was at the mercy of a partygoing mom, who took her to Studio 54 as a young girl—definitely not a place for a kid. She began partying early in life and was subsequently placed in rehab at age thirteen. Following that, she was also placed in a mental institution by her mother, for eighteen months—after getting out of control in the lifestyle she’d been taught by her mom. With no driver’s license and little experience other than acting, she made the decision to drop out of school and try waitressing. That didn’t last long, and she was back on the Hollywood track.
Drew was emancipated at the age of fourteen, and after that her mother cut her out of her life. Drew said it was the worst pain she had ever known. Even though there hasn’t been a full reconciliation, Drew still financially supports her mother.
Drew had two brief marriages before tying the knot with art consultant Will Kopelman in 2012. This lasted longer than the others and seemed to be “the one.” But alas, it ended in divorce, which Drew admits plunged her into a “very dark and fearful place.”
She has two daughters with Kopelman, Olive and Frankie. After Frankie’s birth in 2014, Drew also experienced a bout of postpartum depression. Drew had stopped acting for several years, in order to focus on raising her kids. But she was drawn back in by the script for Santa Clarita Diet, a dark comedy. It was that project that ended up pulling her out of the dark hole that accompanied her divorce.
Drew lives by the philosophy “don’t look back” and sees herself as a work in progress. Spiritually speaking, Drew follows Judaism and observes the seders and Passover. Drew has endeavored to do way better by her children than the upbringing she received, striving to raise them in an "ultra-traditional way."
I don’t ascribe to all Drew’s ideologies, but I do have a level of respect for her as a survivor. She endured some of the worst possible travesties as a child and has come out stronger on the other side. She strikes me as someone who wants very much to be genuine with others. On her daytime show, she endeavors to reminisce and have fun, often joking around.
Though she seems to support certain political candidates over others, Drew doesn’t like to focus much on politics—and particularly not on her show. She said, "I find politics extremely alienating to one side or the other, depending on who’s watching. And I don’t want to make people feel not welcomed here or judged or disliked."
I think Drew is someone who has tried to be a better person and keep moving forward. I’m sure she has regrets, but she tries not to live in them. She knows what it’s like to be stuck, and she doesn’t ever want to be again. I can identify with that.
I think of Drew as “young.” I don’t know if it’s because she seems to have a young perspective or that she acts young for her age. Maybe both. In spite of her youthful persona, it seems she’s been able to mature in some important ways over the years, through some tough experiences. I am thankful she has close friends like Cameron Diaz and Adam Sandler, who have stood by her through some of the roughest patches in her life.
My hope for Drew Barrymore is that she would come to know the Passover Lamb himself—Jesus. And I believe God has definitely had his hand on her life. I believe He has a special place in his heart for her. I am going to pray for her salvation, and I hope other Christians will do the same.
