LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Drew Barrymore recently clarified that she never wished for her mother's death despite their troubled relationship throughout her early years. "I have never said that I wished my mother was dead. How dare you put those words in my mouth," the actress said in an Instagram video. The clarification came after several reports suggested that Barrymore wished for her mother's death as, during a recent interview, she said celebrities like Jeannette McCurdy and Brooke Shields can open up about their mothers unlike her because "all their moms are gone, and my mom’s not."
Barrymore has long been vocal about the complicated relationship she shared with her mother, who also served as her manager when she rose to fame as a child artist in the 1980s. Meanwhile, she shared an equally complicated relationship with her father, actor John Barrymore Jr, who the former claimed was absent from her life when she grew up. The 'Charlie's Angels' star was legally emancipated when she was 14 and left estranged from both her parents. However, she mended her relationship with them later in life.
What is known about John Barrymore Jr?
Barrymore was born on June 4, 1932 in Los Angeles to actor John Barrymore and silent film actress Dolores Costello. His parents separated when he was 18 months old. Barrymore made his film debut at 17 with a small role in 'The Sundowners' (1950). The same year, he bagged a lead role in the Western 'High Lonesome'. The actor went on to appear in films like 'Quebec', 'The Big Night' and 'Thunderbirds' but later moved into television.
He guest-starred on shows like 'Schlitz Playhouse' and 'The 20th Century-Fox Hour' and appeared in TV movies, such as 'The Reluctant Redeemer' and 'The Adventures of Lt Contee'. He also starred in several episodes of 'Matinee Theatre'. Barrymore returned to features with supporting roles in 'While the City Sleeps' and 'The Shadow on the Window'. He also appeared in a production of 'Romeo and Juliet' at the Pasadena Playhouse and guest starred in 'Playhouse 90', 'Climax!', 'Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse', and 'Wagon Train.'
Barrymore also had a supporting role in 'High School Confidential!' and the lead role in 'Never Love a Stranger' as well as MGM’s 'Night of the Quarter Moon'. In 1958, the actor was sentenced to three weekends in prison for engaging in a drunken public fight with his wife in a parking lot. His ex-wife also sued for nonpayment of alimony in 1959. That same year, he was also arrested for a suspected DUI hit-and-run.
The actor traveled to Europe in the 1960s and stayed in Italy for a few years to appear in projects like 'The Cossacks', 'The Night They Killed Rasputin', 'The Pharaohs' Woman', 'The Centurion', 'The Trojan Horse', 'Pontius Pilate', 'Invasion 1700' and 'Rome Against Rome'. He even appeared in the UK film 'The Christine Keeler Story'. After returning to Los Angeles, he guest-starred on TV series like 'Gunsmoke', 'Rawhide', 'The Wild Wild West', 'Run for Your Life', 'Jericho', and 'Dundee and the Culhane'. However, Barrymore’s problematic behavior and legal troubles hindered his professional success. The actor went to prison once again in 1964 for possession of marijuana.
In 1966, Barrymore was signed to play a guest role as Lazarus in the 'Star Trek' episode 'The Alternative Factor'. However, he failed to show up on set and had to be replaced by Robert Brown at the last minute, resulting in a six-month SAG suspension. Barrymore eventually moved away from acting, with his final two appearances coming a 1974 episode of 'Kung Fu' and an uncredited role in the 1976 film 'Baby Blue Marine'.
Barrymore married four times during his lifetime to actress Cara Williams, Gabriella Palazzoli, Jaid Mako, and actress Nina Wayne, respectively. All his marriages ended in divorce. He shared son John with Cara, daughter Blyth with Gabriella, and daughter Drew with Jaid. The actor died on November 29, 2004, at the age of 72, after a battle with cancer.
'My dad was a drug addict'
Drew's parents divorced when she was nine years old. As her father went his own way, the actress was left solely in the care of her mother. During an appearance on Uninterrupted's 'The Shop' series, the 'Never Been Kissed' star sat down with fellow actors Idris Elba, Paul Rabil, Kyrie Irving, Paul Rivera, and Maverick Carter and opened up about her father's absence during her childhood.
Speaking about the long line of actors on the paternal side of her family, Drew said, "They were all dead and long done, and my dad was a drug addict and he didn't wear shoes." She also shared the impression she had of her father at a young age. "He was really crazy but like, an awesome character and sort of like Gollum meets Oscar Wilde on drugs," Drew explained.
"He was just so cool and fascinating and I could tell at a young age, 'Oh this guy is not capable of sh*t." The actress said she accepted her father's absence from her life early on and mentioned, "Let's just love him for who he is and not expect anything from him." Back in 2020, 'The Drew Barrymore Show' host opened up about her father in a lengthy Instagram post.
"My mom chose a wild card for my dad. He was a mad poet hedonist man child! But I understood that as a kid. Somehow I have zero baggage or dad issues. I think I would have liked to have a dad who didn’t look so out there. Or who stayed. Or was capable of anything really. But his wildness runs through me. His gifts are here. His demons to overcome are mine to break! I love him not for who I wanted him to be, but for who he was," she shared. "And as I look at all the photos of dads today, doing their dad job, sure, there is my tiny self that wished for him to fit in. But he never did. And I’m not sure I did either," Drew continued.
"And I’m not sure what anything is supposed to look like, or what it really is beyond the images?! But I do know this... both my parents have played a major role in who i am as a parent. And none of it looks perfect. But it functions with so much love. And togetherness. And availability. I don’t have a picture of a dad today to show how great everything was. I have a picture to show what it was. And that is my story. And that is perfect in itself. My dad gave me the gift of life! A wicked sense of humor! And that wildness that I truly do cherish," she added.
Despite their estranged relationship, Drew decided to forgive her father and even supported him towards the end of his life. She even moved him near her home in 2003 and paid for his hospice care and medical bills before he died of cancer 2004.
