The famous funny girl on why she SO fortunate
BY SARA DAVIDSON (RIDERS DIGEST)

AT AGE THREE Drew Barrymore knew she would be an actress. After all, this was the family business: Her grandfather John, her great-aunt Ethel and great-uncle Lionel were all titans of Hollywood. So it was no surprise that Drew became a child star in Steven Spielberg's EX: The Extra-Terrestrial. But by age 13 she'd landed in rehab, ad¬dicted to alcohol and cocaine.
Her rocky childhood was just the beginning of a series of bad breaks, including two brief marriages and divorces and a scary house fire. Still, she knew she could overcome her mistakes and her sorrows. Drew believes that each experience — good or bad — has made her the strong, confident woman she is now. At 31, she has a hot production company, and a happy, stable love life with Fabrizio Moretti, the Brazilian-born drummer for the sizzling rock band the Strokes. Drew met with RD to discuss her most grown-up role yet in this month's film Lucky You, a gambling drama set in Las Vegas. And she talked about her belief that she's been dealt the best hand in the universe.

RD: Have you always been funny?
DB: Well, the people I grew up around who I really liked were quick on the draw. It always just wowed me. And my mom would make weird funny comments. I can see in myself her self-deprecating, hippie humor. I can't take myself too seriously.

RD: When inviting actors to work with you, you've been known to say, "Come play with me."
DB: That's how I think it should be. I cannot understand why people would ever be miserable working on a movie set; it's the most wonderful job.

RD: On some films, you can't just play.
DB: I don't mind a little Sturm und Drang. When I was doing Riding in Cars With Boys, I wouldn't smile at anybody, because my character, Bev, was angry at the world. I'm the oppo¬site. Inside my head I'd be like, God, I'll explain to you at the end of shooting that I'm not this person.

RD: But you've seen your share of hardship and been open about it
DB; It wasn't my choice to be an open book, but when people found out what my life was like when I was 14 or 15,1 didn't deny it. I think the more imper¬fect you are, the more human you are.
RD: Your dad was absent. Your mom was unstable. You were supporting your family. Weren't you unhappy and angry then?
DB: No. In fact, my therapist says I still haven't gotten in touch with my anger. Maybe one day I'm going to explode. But I'm still really happy. I know it looks like a strange and painful upbringing—all those experiences led me to the paths that I'm on now.

RD: Do you think your early problems with drugs and alcohol taught you a worthwhile lesson?
DB: Life is a beautiful journey, and I'll never be able to understand what it is from afar. But I don't really have any destructive behavior anymore, because I've tried that and I don't like it. I like being a functioning adult.

RD: There's a famous story about Steven Spielberg saying that at six years old you were capable of pro¬ducing a major film, but nobody was smart enough to give you the money.
DB: He always had high hopes for me. I don't know what he saw in me, but I like to orchestrate. I'm a bit of a con¬trol freak. I love what producers do because they're creatively involved in every aspect of filmmaking. And I love problem-solving. When the crisis hits, I will be there and I will fix it.

RD: So Spielberg has sort of been your godfather.
DB He's been a major mentor. He was the first stable male figure in my life. The best attribute a parent can have is consistency. When he said he would be there at three o'clock, he was there. That meant more to me than anything.

RD: When you were just three, you told your mother that you wanted to be an actress. Do you remember say¬ing that?
DB: I remember I said I love doing it. She helped me understand who my family was, which made me feel like I wasn't crazy to feel that mag¬netic pull.

RD: Do you think you inherited the gift for acting?
DB: This is the thing that I love more than anything in the world and it's what my entire family has done for generations. It must be running through my veins. I can see my face in their faces. I'm inspired by them and really want to make them proud.

RD: But for many today, you're the only Barrymore people know.
DB: I'm sad that as years go by, we lose touch with our history, but happy be¬cause the name is still around-

RD: How does a seven-year-old, your age in E.T., act? Is it like playing?
DB: No, I thought of it as acting. At around age two I did a movie in which I played a little boy. I could under¬stand, Okay, you're not playing a little girl. I had to learn lines and hit marks. I think that developed my awareness. By six, I felt much older than six.

RD: In Lucky You, you play a charac¬ter who's very different from the bubbly, youthful roles we've come to know you in. What attracted you to this part?
DB: When I was considering this film, I wanted to make different choices. I felt like the dark was something that I hadn't explored in my work enough.

RD: A lot of actors say that comedy is harder to do than drama.
DB: They're both hard. Maybe the drama is newer to me, so I'm more ex¬cited by it, and I feel eager to under¬stand what the process is. But as much as I want to explore darkness, it re¬ally is the light that guides me.

RD: Let's shift gears and talk about eating and weight, because Americans seem obsessed with it. How did you drop and keep off 20 pounds?
DB: Well, I fluctuate. I can't live the deprived lifestyle. If I want to eat and not exercise, I'm going to embrace it. But the minute I start to feel bad, I know exactly what to do. Portions are everything.

RD: What about exercise?
DB: I'm a runner and do some yoga, but I can't do a lot of yoga 'cause I'm better bottled up. I have work. I have a great place to put all the emotions, and I'm better served with them com¬ing out there.

RD: You've said that you feel you have a void to fill and a fear to face. What is the fear?
DB: The fear is of people thinking that I'm only capable of doing my job to a certain degree, that I cannot pass that line in skill. I think my other fear is that I don't really know what life is all about, because I haven't become a par¬ent yet. I want to have a family and see the world, but I've always been cautious to not have kids before I'm ready. I've raced through everything in life. I somehow knew, Don't have kids before you're ready.

RD: Do you think your hesitation has to do with having had such a chal¬lenging childhood?
DB: Sure. I want to be safe and stable for my children.

RD: Tell us about meeting Fabrizio.
DB: I just love the Strokes. They ended up playing a show a couple hours from where I live. I called their manager, said, "I'm sure everyone's calling, but can I stand by the side of the stage and watch?"

RD: Fabrizio is the drummer. Usually women fall for the guitarist or the lead singer.
DB:I met him, and he was the most lethal combination. He was handsome and kind and smart and funny. Chemistry is everything, but chem¬istry can evolve, and I don't think it's the best foundation for a relationship. I think brains and creativity and in¬telligence and aspirations and poetic romanticism are far more lasting. So it was when I got to know him that 1 realized I really liked him.

RD: Did he feel the same way?
DB. I think I caught him off guard 'cause I'm just a person who knows what she wants. I don't think that life happens by sitting back and waiting. People hold their cards so tight to their chest. Life is short. Tell people you love them. What's the worst that's going to happen?

RD: You were estranged from your fa¬ther for years, and he died recently. Why was it important for you to re¬unite before he departed?
DB: I didn't deny him in my life, say, "You can't be in it." He was the person who said, "I can't be a father." I'm sure there was a little girl in me that was disappointed that he wasn't there. I'd always thought that I'd want an apol¬ogy from him for not being a dad. But when he was dying, I found myself saying, "I'm sorry if your life wasn't everything you wanted it to be, and I love you,"
I fear going into the next form with bad energy. We've got to let it go, trans¬form it and make it good.

RD: Did you ever get the apology that you yearned for?
DB: He did apologize. I was like, I don't even need it anymore, but thank you.

RD: How are your relations with your mom these days?
DB: She and I are in really good com¬munication. My dad passing was instrumental in us getting back on track. You only have so much time. We needed to take a break—time-outs are so healthy—but we have a func¬tioning relationship that works for us right now.

RD: A few years ago, your house caught fire and burned to the ground as you slept. You said that experience changed your life. How?
DB: If something like that doesn't change your life, you must be crazy. But what's interesting is that stability doesn't come from anything material. You're a bird and can fly to the next nest. If your friends are still circling around it, perfect. I didn't lose any¬thing that really changed my life in a bad way. My dogs, my friends, the peo¬ple I love—that's all intact. And you can always rebuild. You can always pick up and start over.
Listen to Drew at rd.com/drew.