Iconic director Steven Spielberg recently recalled his time directing the 1982 sci-fi classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The experience was bittersweet to him, as he spoke of then-7-year-old Drew Barrymore in her second role in the movie. Spielberg and Barrymore’s bond was so strong and special then that Barrymore asked Spielberg to be her dad, to which Spielberg responded by becoming her godfather.
The plot
The film’s story follows 10-year-old Elliot Taylor (Henry Thomas in his first role) as he befriends an extraterrestrial left behind on Earth, who he decides to call E.T. Barrymore starred alongside Thomas in her second role as Gertie Taylor, Elliot’s younger sister. Both siblings try to send E.T. back to his home planet.
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Barrymore’s hard past
Spielberg felt that Barrymore was robbed of her childhood as her biological father, John Drew Barrymore, was unfortunately an abusive alcoholic. Barrymore kept paying his bills up until his death in 2004 when he was aged 72.
Barrymore’s experience with drugs
Barrymore, like her father, was no stranger to substance abuse. She used cannabis at the age of 10 and abused cocaine at the age of 12. At 13, she was admitted into rehab and attempted to take her life a year later, after which she made a return to rehabilitation care.
Barrymore from Spielberg’s point of view
Spielberg talked to Vulture about how Barrymore was during filming, saying: “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.” He added: “Yet I felt very helpless because I wasn’t her dad. I could only kind of be a consigliere to her.”
Spielberg tried to keep her childhood alive
Barrymore was only seven years old during filming, and Spielberg tried to keep the magic alive for her by convincing her that E.T. is in fact real. Barrymore spotted several men operating E.T., with Spielberg demanding they leave the set so as not to ruin the magic for her. “I didn’t want to burst the bubble,” he said.
He saw her as family
Spielberg kept the operations ongoing during non-filming hours, such as lunch breaks, so that Barrymore could have lunch with E.T. Furthermore, on weekends, Barrymore stayed with Spielberg and he pampered her, giving her a cat she named Gertie and taking her to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.
Her mother wasn’t a good influence, either
Barrymore’s mother, Jaid, an aspiring actress herself, wasn’t prepared to raise Barrymore alone. In addition, Jaid “exploited” Barrymore as she took her out to Hollywood parties and nightclubs. She reportedly had her first drink when she was only nine years old.
Her only parental figure
Barrymore admitted that Spielberg was “the only person in my life to this day that ever was a parental figure.” Spielberg recounted how Barrymore would show up wearing red lipstick to the office at such a young age, and he would tell her to take it off.
Her life after this
Barrymore successfully petitioned for emancipation from her parents at age 15 after leaving the rehabilitation center. She has been maintaining her sobriety since at least 2019 and currently, she hosts her own talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show.
Spielberg and Barrymore now
Spielberg, 77, and Barrymore, 49, remain close to this day, having been photographed together over the years supporting each other’s projects. In April 2023, Barrymore presented Spielberg with a special award at the Time 100 Gala, alongside former child star Ke Huy Quan.
