Interview: Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore is a breed as rare as a condor in Hollywood - an actress who is happy to be getting older. While age threatens most actresses, the one-time child star says it has taken her all of these past 35 years to feel truly comfortable in her skin. Despite starring in more than 40 films since 1982, when E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial made her a household name, Barrymore readily admits that cameras used to be things she hid behind, using characters to mask what she was truly feeling.



But her most recent film, Going The Distance, the romantic comedy she starred in with on/off boyfriend Justin Long (which is released on DVD February 2), gave her a new-found freedom. Though the couple split soon after filming, they remain on good terms, even exchanging jokes as they talk about playing two lovebirds - he a record company executive in New York, she a journalist in San Francisco - struggling to maintain a long-distance relationship. And yes, they both see the irony of the situation. While she would love a man in her life, Barrymore reveals she is in no hurry. "It is my choice to be single," she says, "and I never want to have the feeling again that I've settled with the wrong guy."

After two short-lived marriages (to bartender Jeremy Thomas at 19, and comedian Tom Green at 26), Barrymore lived with The Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti for five years. That ended in 2007, shortly before she met Long while filming He's Just Not That Into You, which they both starred in and Barrymore produced. While the film was a hit, their relationship was a flop. They rekindled their love affair while making this movie, but today they're just good friends.

Good friends are something Barrymore has a lot of, as she's spent her life creating a support system to replace her unstable family life. Her father, John Barrymore, left her mother, Jaid, mere months after Drew was born. She saw little of her father over the ensuing years, and she felt the effects of that separation, most notably through a series of well-publicised drug and alcohol addictions. Barrymore and her father reconciled in 2004, just before his death. She chronicled the dark days of her adolescence in her memoir, Little Girl Lost, which she wrote at 14.

Barrymore considers those less-than-stable times long behind her. And if 2010 was any evidence, she's right. Last year saw her win Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy's cousin, Edie Beale, in the TV film Grey Gardens. Her directorial debut, Whip It!, a raucous comedy about a sheltered girl who joins a roller derby team to defy her strict mother, was so well received it was rumoured she was offered the chance to direct a Twilight movie.

In this candid conversation, Barrymore talks about her new-found confidence, recent singledom, and her hopes and plans for the future.

What appealed to you about this role in Going The Distance?
After the heaviness of some of the parts I have played lately, like Edie in Grey Gardens, it was nice to be a normal person. I found that I related to this character in so many ways.

How so?
Like me, she loves all that girl talk, but she can also just relax and hang out with her guy friends. And I have certainly had my share of long-distance love affairs. My life takes me all over the world and I know how hard that can be on a relationship.

Were you wary about making a movie with someone with whom you had been involved?
Actually, it was just the opposite. Because of our history with each other, Justin and I were able to bring a real sense of honesty to our relationship on-screen.

Drew with Justin Long.



Is that why you felt so comfortable improvising some of the script?
Absolutely. Justin and I both loved seeing where a scene was going. I have never had such freedom on a film set. It was so liberating as an actress.

Do you think this movie is more adult than your other romantic comedies, like 50 First Dates and Music And Lyrics?
Yes, and I must say I was surprised by how explicit some of the dialogue was. Then I realised just how much it reflected real life.

Even so, weren't you still reluctant about one scene in particular?
Ah yes, the phone sex. That was a tough one. I was so nervous before we began filming, but once we got going it turned out to be a lot of fun.

And what about the kissing scenes?
Justin is an excellent kisser both on- and off-screen. Kissing in the movies is a real art - figuring out where to put your heads so it looks good on camera. I have had other co-stars who couldn't work that out, which made it a lot harder for me.

After producing and directing your most recent movie, was it difficult to go back to just acting?
It was a relief to have to worry about just one thing.

Do actors make better directors?
We know how draining acting can be. I remember Steven Spielberg telling me to keep on crying after finishing an emotional scene. Now I understand what he meant - I had to let it all out or it would stay with me all day.

Will you direct again?
Absolutely. But directing a film is a two-year commitment, as a minimum. I need to find something that I want to spend that much time with.

Like the family in Grey Gardens, your home life was less than ideal.
When I was growing up, there was darkness in my life that led me to drugs and alcohol. Because I was so used to memorising scripts, I can still remember vividly so much of what happened. That takes some getting used to.

How have you coped with all that?
By deciding that I had to leave all of my anger and bitterness behind.

Do you ever think you have been too revealing about your life?
I decided very early on that it took too much of my energy to pretend to be someone else. People will make up their minds about me whatever I do or say, but at least I know I am being true to myself.

Drew at a Covergirl launch party.



What do you make of all the public scrutiny of how you look and dress?
I have learnt that there will always be people quick to judge you, to criticise your weight, or your hair or your clothes. They may put me on the worst-dressed list, but I loved whatever it is they hated.

The positive side of celebrity is that you can bring attention to a cause like the UN World Food Programme.
Exactly. I have been so blessed to be part of this organisation and to help spread the message that we can win the battle against hunger. It takes so little money to make such a big difference. Just 25 cents can change the life of a child.

Your recent films have looked at relationships between parents and kids. Do you think about motherhood?
All the time, but I know from experience that I need to be the best version of me before I can be a mother to someone else.

Can you believe you're the seventh generation of your family in showbiz?
There have been actors in my family for more than 200 years, so it must be part of my DNA. I love acting and hope that I'm making all of them proud of me. I know I can get such inspiration from them.