Drew Barrymore shut down criticism of her time as a child star, blaming herself for her troubled past rather than her career.
The actress, 50, had “one of the greatest epiphanies of my life” while speaking to Misty Copeland about the benefits of structure for children during the Friday, September 19, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.
“I have defended the work I’ve done my whole life because I think people think working young can get you into so much trouble,” Barrymore said. “It wasn’t the work. The work gave me a life. It was me! I’m responsible for my own mistakes. Thank you for sharing that because it just healed me. Work was always a good thing!”
Barrymore — who has been forthcoming about struggling with substance abuse in her youth — explained that her career was the best thing for her given her turbulent home life as a child.
“I know what that’s like to grow up where you are craving stability [and] you feel the burden of where and how are we going to pay for the next thing,” she said. “I think because I started so young, there was a little bit of a misconception — and my family was a big acting family back in the day — none of that [structure] was there. I grew up with a single mom and she put me to work and she worked as well.”
Barrymore understood the gravity of her responsibilities as a child actor, sharing that it gave her a purpose after landing her first role at 11 months old.
“A schedule, you have to be there every day, there’s no room for being late, you learn your lines, you are on point,” she recalled. “And you’re in a team. It’s not about you, so you let something go, the domino effects are not positive.”
Barrymore concluded: “It’s a tremendous amount of pressure, but it was the great pressure that really helped me and gave me an anchor that I didn’t have elsewhere.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available 24 hours a day through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.