Being a child star isn’t for everyone. Barrymore, 46, who rose to fame at age 7 following her performance as Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, hit an extreme low as a teenager and spiraled into alcohol and drugs. By 13, Barrymore had checked into a mental institution and was legally emancipated from her parents by age 14.
“It really is a recipe for disaster,” she said of early stardom. “But you know what’s exciting? I got my s**t over with at, like, 14. Like, midlife crisis, institutionalized, blacklisted, no family, like, got it done, and then got into the cycle of being my own parent, figuring it out.”
