Drew Barrymore

Since melting audiences' hearts - at the age of six - in 'Steven Spielberg' (qv)'s beloved sci-fi blockbuster, _E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)_ (qv), 'Drew Barrymore' (qv) has emerged as one of the most endearing and talented actresses of her generation.Drew Blyth Barrymore was born in Culver City, California, to actors 'John Drew Barrymore' (qv) and 'Jaid Barrymore' (qv) (née Ildiko Jaid Mako). Her father came from a long showbusiness legacy, as the son of actors 'John Barrymore' (qv) and 'Dolores Costello' (qv), while her mother was the daughter of Hungarian refugees.Despite a turbulent adolescence, Barrymore's star was officially on the rise during the mid-1990s; following a string of "bad girl" parts in _Poison Ivy (1992)_ (qv), _Guncrazy (1992)_ (qv), and, well, _Bad Girls (1994)_ (qv), she made notable appearances in _Boys on the Side (1995)_ (qv), 'Woody Allen' (qv)'s _Everyone Says I Love You (1996)_ (qv), and the game-changing horror hit _Scream (1996)_ (qv).An eclectic mix of high-profile and low-key film projects followed - such as _The Wedding Singer (1998)_ (qv), _Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)_ (qv), _Never Been Kissed (1999)_ (qv), _Charlie's Angels (2000)_ (qv), _Donnie Darko (2001)_ (qv), _Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)_ (qv), and _Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)_ (qv) - proving to once-cynical audiences that Barrymore was not only a capable leading lady, but also a gifted and versatile actor.Headline parts in _50 First Dates (2004)_ (qv), _Fever Pitch (2005)_ (qv), and _Music and Lyrics (2007)_ (qv) came next, followed by the critically-lauded _Grey Gardens (2009)_ (qv), for which she earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for her portrayal of 'Edith Bouvier Beale' (qv).In 2009, Barrymore - whose production company, Flower Films, has spawned several lucrative features - made her long-awaited directional debut with the comedy-drama _Whip It (2009)_ (qv); TIME Magazine hailed her as "a sensitive director who knows how and when to let an emotional moment linger on the screen."Alongside a recurring guest spot (as the voice of Jillian; 2005-13) on _Family Guy (1999)_ (qv), recent acting roles have included _Going the Distance (2010)_ (qv), _Big Miracle (2012)_ (qv), _Blended (2014)_ (qv), _Miss You Already (2015)_ (qv), and the acclaimed Netflix series _Santa Clarita Diet (2017)_ (qv), on which she stars and serves as executive producer.::Nate