At 7, Drew Barrymore Wanted Steven Spielberg To Be Her Father But The Legendary Filmmaker Turned Her Down

Jun 23, 2023 by apost team

Drew Barrymore is a talented actress who can comfortably capture each role in any genre. The gifted actress was born into a family of actors. Her grandfather, John Barrymore, and his siblings, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, were famous for their masterful acting. Her dad, John Drew Barrymore, was also an actor who recorded some early success in his career. However, by the time Drew was born, he had become a washed-up actor. Drew's birth into this family meant that she, too, would toe the same path, and it was not long after that she got her first gig. 

Drew's first appearance on TV was for a dog food commercial when she was just 11 months old. When she was 6, she got cast as Gertie in the blockbuster 1982 Sci-fi "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." The science flick was very popular and became the highest-grossing movie of all time until it was dislodged by "Jurassic Park" in 1993. 

Through this, the cast gained nationwide attention and stepped into the limelight. Drew also gained prominence through her role as Gertie and quickly became a fave child actor. She also met and befriended the director, Steven Spielberg at this time, and they formed a relationship that lasts to this day.  

During an interview published on June 5, 2023, Drew detailed how she asked Spielberg to be her dad when she was 7 because of her tumultuous family life. However, the director said no. Instead, he decided to be her godfather. Continue reading to learn more about Drew's life and relationship with Spielberg. 

Drew's request to Spielberg did not come out of the blue. The then 7-year-old seemed to have a great life on screen. However, her family was a mess. Drew's dad, John, was an abusive alcoholic who had lost his place as an actor. Although he was no longer with her mom, Ildiko Jaid Barrymore, he would come over whenever he needed money. 

Drew mentioned in her interview with Vulture that her earliest memory of her dad was when she was 3. He stormed into the house, grabbed and hurled her into the wall. He would also inflict pain on her and tell her she was only imagining the pain. 

But sadly, it seemed Drew's mom was hardly any better. Jaid was more of a friend than a mom and could never say no. She also seemed to influence her daughter in more ways than one. The actress first tasted champagne when she was 8 and drank beer for the first time at 9. Drew and her mom would also go to nightclubs and parties, even though she was too young to do that. 

The "Charlie's Angels" actress started taking drugs when she was 12 to escape reality. Although her mom forced her into rehab a year after that, she kept taking Drew in and out to shoot movies. Eventually, at 14, the then-teenager got legally emancipated from her mom and moved in with the late David Crosby, who helped her in her sobriety journey. With Spielberg’s assistance, Crosby helped Drew to feel the love she didn't get from her family. 

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Vulture's interview with Drew from June 5, 2023, brought back memories for the 48-year-old talk show host and actress. Drew dwelled on her background and relationship with the iconic director, which greatly helped her while growing up. She said Spielberg was "the only person in my life to this day that ever was a parental figure."

While the cast was filming "E.T.," Drew noticed the men operating the alien behind a wall and wanted Spielberg to make them leave. She revealed that Spielberg told her: 

"I didn’t want to burst the bubble. It’s okay, E.T. is so special E.T. has eight assistants. I am the director, I only have one."

Drew would share her secrets with the alien, and to keep the movie magical for her, Spielberg instructed that the alien was always animated with her. She also asked the filmmaker to be her dad, but he said “no.” The 7-year-old then asked him to be her godfather, and he agreed. The "Never Been Kissed" actress stayed with him on weekends and got a cat from him which she named Gertie in honor of her "E.T." character. 

Spielberg also took Drew to theme parks. The "Jurassic Park" director regretted that he couldn't do more for her since he wasn't her parent. He once said of Drew:

"She was staying up way past her bedtime, going to places she should have only been hearing about, and living a life at a very tender age that I think robbed her of her childhood. Yet I felt very helpless because I wasn’t her dad. I could only kind of be a consigliere to her."

Although Spielberg couldn’t do more for Drew, his impact on her life was great and helped her become the woman she is today. 

What do you think of Drew Barrymore's background and Steven Spielberg's influence? Does she inspire you? Which of her movies is your favorite? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members and fellow Drew Barrymore fans!