Drew Barrymore says her younger self ‘wouldn’t listen’ to advice she has now

Drew Barrymore has spoken candidly about her childhood and what advice she’d want to give her younger self.

The 47-year-old television host discussed what words of wisdom she’d offer her younger self, as she’s previously opened up about her past struggles with drug addiction, during an interview with People on Monday at the 26th Annual Webby Awards. However, according to Barrymore, her younger self wouldn’t be open to hearing her advice.

“She wouldn’t have listened,” the Charlie’s Angels star said. “But I have better advice for myself now. I like trying to tell myself to please react with grace. Be on the high road. Don’t flip out about everything. Find calm, find peace​​.”

Barrymore confessed that, although she wanted to give herself those words of encouragement as a child, she didn’t believe that “those things were possible” at the time.

“Those are things I wish I could’ve told myself when I was a kid, but I would’ve never thought those things were possible, nor did I really want them at that time,” she continued. “Now I want them.”

“I wanted wild, rebellious fun,” she recalled.

Barrymore has previously opened up about her past and how her mother, Jaid Barrymore, placed her in a psychiatric hospital at the age of 13.

While appearing on The Howard Stern Show in February 2021, she recalled how she was placed in Van Nuys Psychiatric for a year and a half and “couldn’t mess around in there”. However, she acknowledged that she wasn’t angry at her mother anymore for putting her there.

“I think she created a monster and she didn’t know what to do with the monster,” the actor explained. “This was her last gasp, and I really was out of control, and I forgive her for making this choice. She probably felt she had nowhere to turn.”

Barrymore then recalled how she had cut her mother out of her life at one point, which she described as “the worst pain [she’s] ever known”. However, she said that they’ve since reconciled and are a part of each other’s lives again.

“I just thought: ‘I have to let this go, like what is this doing for either of us?’” the Santa Clarita Diet star added. “I think she’s old enough now to be in a different place in her life and I know the changes that I’ve made and how long they took. I know that’s possible for people. So why not her too?”