Drew Barrymore doesn't want her kids to follow her footsteps in Hollywood until they are "north of 14, 15"
Apr 15, 2024
Washington [US], April 15 : Actor and film producer Drew Barrymore's children, Olive, 11, and Frankie, 10, occasionally ask to follow in her footsteps in Hollywood, but she isn't ready to say yes yet, reported People.
"When I first had kids, I remember people asking me, 'Well, would you want your kids to go into business?' And it always gave me such a sad feeling, as if this business was so toxic, like, 'Ew,' " said the host of 'The Drew Barrymore Show'.
"And I just thought, that's not how I feel about this business at all. It has given me every opportunity under the sun and I couldn't appreciate my life more."
Barrymore, whose father, grandfather, great-grandparents, great-aunt, and uncle were all performers, landed her first commercial at 11 months old and was cast in E.T. at the age of six, followed by films such as Firestarter and Irreconcilable Differences.
But her love for show biz doesn't mean she's giving her girls the green light. "My kids ask me all the time -- they would love to be in film or on social media or sing or whatever. I always just say, 'School plays, theatre camp, everything [yes].'"
"But being in the public eye, [no] until...' And then they say, 'Well, what's the number?' And I always say, 'I know you want an answer, and I know the fact that I can't give you one that's so specific isn't satisfying, but it's going to be a feeling. It's going to be when I think you're ready."
When that moment comes, Barrymore will be their biggest cheerleader. "As a parent, I would love to support my kids when they're older. Again, what number is that? I don't know, but it's not 13 and it's probably not 14. It's up there, but your kids will present themselves in a way where you've got to listen to them and support them and trust them. And I don't know what number that is, but it's probably north of 14, 15."
Her daughter's interest in the family business is understandable. Barrymore told People in 2022 how she felt drawn to this career: "Something in being a part of my dad's family has been such a cosmic, spiritual, magnetic pull," she said at the time. "I feel so compelled to do what they do."
Earlier, Barrymore said that she's been having direct chats with her girls, emphasising "honesty" above everything else.
"I'm always talking about honesty. If it's the truth, we're gonna find our way through," she shared.
She added that she tries to encourage her daughters to "ask yourself, without feeling like any judgement or blame is coming at you, at your part in something."
"I talk to them about that and how I know it's hard. I'm aware that we really can only control ourselves and not other people or the exterior world, so when we self-explore, we can find what we can learn from it and what we can do."
Barrymore continued, "I encourage them to ask, 'What is your part in something, and how can we be honest and brave to tell the truth?' I don't want them to fear that the truth will get them into trouble. I think it will set us free to get on the right path to figuring anything out," reported People.