Santa Clarita Diet star Drew Barrymore has had a very long career (at age six, the actress played precocious Gertie in beloved classic E.T.) but that doesn't mean life has always been easy. A child of the famous Barrymore acting dynasty, the Never Been Kissed star recently told the host of Netflix's new series Norm McDonald Has A Show that she had to barrel through some problems at a young age to get to the happy place she is now.
Barrymore, who says that she was institutionalized by her mother at 13 following a battle with drug and alcohol abuse, told McDonald that stardom at such a young age came with a lot of complications.
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"It really is a recipe for disaster," she told the talk show host.
The famously sunny Barrymore did find an upside to the hardship, though.
"But you know what's exciting? I got my shit over with by like, 14," she joked on the show. "Like, midlife crisis, you know: institutionalized, blacklisted, no family, like, got it done — and then got into the cycle of being my own parent."
Barrymore also admitted to McDonald (who himself was recently criticized for controversial comments about the #MeToo movement) that she's a much different person now.
"I drink and I enjoy my life and I like get out of my own head," the actress explained to the host. "It's not like I'm this militant person of clarity and presence but [cocaine] literally seems like my worst nightmare right now."
Today, Barrymore — who has worked with Refinery29 as our editor-at-large — is busy being a boss lady. In addition to starring on her Netflix comedy series, she's the founder of Flower Beauty, a prestige beauty line at an affordable price point. In addition to her number of producing efforts, which include movies like Whip It and How To Be Single, she'll help bring an all-woman horror series, The Black Rose Anthology, to TV.
The past is the past, and clearly, Barrymore's learned a lot from living through it.
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