Drew Barrymore
Troubled Teen to Inspirational Woman
Childhood
Drew Blyth Barrymore was born on February 22, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. She was one of five children and also had a half brother. Her parents divorced when she was only nine years old. Drew was born into acting; her grandfather, John Barrymore was known as the best actor of his time and her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all actors. Drew's acting career took off with her role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at age seven and became Saturday night Live's youngest host.
Obstacles
However, Drew's early stardom and troubled childhood steered her down the wrong path when she got involved with drugs and alcohol at a very young age. She was regularly at Studio 54, a popular New York night club at the time. She smoked cigarettes at age nine, began drinking and age eleven, smoked marijuana by age twelve and snorted cocaine at age thirteen. She wanted to throw her mother out of the house but failed to and was sent to a rehabilitation center at age fourteen. Drew also tried to commit suicide which sent her back into rehab. She later wrote a book, Little Girl Lost, describing her troubled years and experience in rehab. Due to her image as a wild and rebellious teen, her acting career had slowed down and Drew starred in only minor films and dealt with controversial topics such as her nude photo shoot for Playboy.
Overcoming the Obstacles
Drew made a comeback in 1995 when she founded her own production company, Flower Films. In the same year, Drew starred in Boys on the Side with co-star Whoopi Goldberg. The next year, she starred in the popular horror, Scream and co-starred in the musical Everybody Says I Love You. In 1998, she co-starred in The Wedding Singer and the film Ever After, which proved her a strong return to acting world. In 2000, she produced and starred in the block-buster hit Charlie's Angels which made $40 million on the opening weekend.
Drew at People's Choice Awards 2014
Drew and her makeup line, Flower Beauty
Drew on Oprah announcing her $1 million donation
Accomplishments
Drew also became a CoverGirl Cosmetics' model and spokesperson for her "natural beauty and energetic yet authentic spirit. She was also named Ambassador Against hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme and also donated $1 million to the cause. In the 2000's, Drew has starred in many popular movies such as 50 First dates, Fever Pitch, He's Just Not That Into You, and Going the Distance. Drew also launched a makeup line called Flower Beauty in 2012. Her line of cosmetics is sold at Walmart and offer quality cosmetics for an affordable cost. Her makeup is made in the USA and is not tested on animals.