Drew Barrymore's Real Name: Drew Blythe Barrymore

Quick answer: Drew Barrymore's full name is Drew Blythe Barrymore. The Library of Congress spells the middle name "Blyth." She was born on February 22, 1975, in Culver City, California. She became famous at 7 as Gertie in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, starred in romantic comedies such as The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, and hosts the daytime talk show The Drew Barrymore Show (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Barrymore, Drew" and lists "Barrymore, Drew Blyth" as a variant. It cites "b. Feb. 22, 1975, Culver City, Calif.; birth name: Drew Blyth Barrymore." Wikidata and many references spell the middle name Blythe.

Britannica says she comes from a long line of famous actors, most notably her grandfather John Barrymore and his siblings Lionel and Ethel. She appeared in TV movies before her film debut in Altered States (1980). In her 1990 memoir Little Girl Lost, she wrote that she sought treatment for drug and alcohol abuse by age 13.

Career highlights

As Gertie in Steven Spielberg's E.T. (1982) she became a child star. That year, at age seven, she became the youngest host of Saturday Night Live. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for Irreconcilable Differences (1984) and starred in Firestarter. As a teenager she took darker roles in Poison Ivy, Guncrazy (another Golden Globe nomination), and The Amy Fisher Story.

In 1995 she formed the production company Flower Films. She appeared in Wes Craven's Scream and Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You (1996). With The Wedding Singer (1998) opposite Adam Sandler, she moved into romantic comedy, followed by Ever After and Never Been Kissed, which she also produced. She produced and starred in Charlie's Angels (2000) and its 2003 sequel and appeared in Donnie Darko (2001). Later films include 50 First Dates, Fever Pitch, Music and Lyrics, He's Just Not That into You, and Blended.

She made her directing debut with Whip It (2009). She won a Golden Globe as "Little Edie" Beale in HBO's Grey Gardens and starred in Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet (2017–19). The Drew Barrymore Show began in 2020 on CBS. She also founded the beauty brand Flower in 2013 and wrote the memoir Wildflower (2015).

Name notes for searchers

Barrymore is her real family surname, inherited from the acting dynasty, not a stage name. Expect both spellings of the middle name: LOC records Blyth, and most references write Blythe.