Drew Barrymore isn’t quite ready to let her young daughters follow in her footsteps just yet. But that doesn’t mean their day will never come.
In a new interview with People magazine, Barrymore revealed that her kids — Olive, 11, and Frankie, 9 — ask her “all the time” if they can join in on the Hollywood industry. While she said they “would love to be in film or on social media or sing,” she noted that they are not old enough right now.
“I always just say, ‘School plays, theater camp, everything, [yes]. But [no to] being out there in the public eye until…’ And then they say, ‘Well, what’s the number?’” Barrymore explained. “And I always say, ‘I know you want an answer, and I know the fact that I can’t give you one that’s so specific isn’t satisfying, but it’s going to be a feeling and it’s going to be when I think you’re ready.’”
The actress added that she would “so support them” when that day comes — even if she shut down the idea back when she was a new mom.
“When I first had kids, I remember people asking me like, ‘Well, would you want your kids to go into the business?’ And it always gave me such a sad feeling, as if this business was so toxic, like ew,” she recalled. “And I just thought, that’s not how I feel about this business at all. It has given me every opportunity under the sun and I couldn’t appreciate my life more.”
These days, Barrymore is fully ready to help her kids fulfill their dreams — but, according to her, they must be older.
“Again, what number is that? I don’t know, but it’s not 13 and it’s probably not 14,” she said. “It’s up there, but your kid will present themselves in a way where you’ve got to listen to them and support them and trust them. I don’t know what number that is, but it’s probably north of 14, 15!”
Barrymore was only 11 months old when she began booking acting gigs. She quickly rose to fame after starring in her first film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. But child stardom took a toll on her and by the time she was 13 years old, she was institutionalized for substance abuse.
The Drew Barrymore Show host recalled giving an interview from inside the family treatment center in which she was recovering.
“It was very empowering. And when I look at it now, I don’t see sadness or tragedy,” she told People. “I love that I was a walking cautionary tale because then when we talk about how we raise our kids in a world where they’re all out there on social media, we all have to be almost in the mindset of what Hollywood parents were like, which is: Do I want to protect my child? What are the boundaries? What should I be teaching them?”
She continued, “We’re all rowing in that boat. So I actually feel like this gives me such a beautiful little merit badge, like a scout’s honor to get into that conversation and know how to navigate that as a parent myself.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
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