Drew Barrymore is best known as a famous American actress with incredible wealth but she’s much more than that. In 2024, Drew Barrymore’s net worth is estimated at $125 million.
In addition to being an actress, Barrymore is an author, a talk show host, a director, and a producer. She is a member of a family of actors and lived a difficult life before she built her highly successful career. Raised in the entertainment industry, she was a major star even in her childhood.
Barrymore, who embarked on her journey in the entertainment industry from a very young age, has received nine Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, among other prestigious awards and nominations.
In this post, we’ll explore how Barrymore diversified her career and earned her fortune, as well as discuss her major milestones and successes.
Drew Barrymore’s Net Worth Breakdown:
In our analysis of Drew Barrymore’s financial standing, we researched available data to give you the clearest picture of what makes her estimated net worth of 125 million dollars. As with most high-profile individuals, a lot of the financial details of her earnings remain undisclosed.
However, despite these limitations, we compiled a breakdown of Barrymore’s biggest earnings and assets:
Asset or Income Source | Contribution to Net Worth |
Known film earnings | at least $43 million |
2006 film earnings | $10-$12 million |
Flower Films earrnings | Unknown |
Book earnings | Unknown |
Business earnings | Unknown |
Real estate profits | $4.8+ million |
Real estate assets | Unknown |
Total Net Worth | $125 million |
Drew Barrymore Net Worth: Early Life and Education
Drew Blythe Barrymore was born in Culver City, California, on February 22, 1975. She is a descendant of a long line of actors, including her parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
Her parents are John Drew Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore, actors as well. From her father’s previous relationships, she has three older half-siblings.
Barrymore’s Troubled Childhood
Drew Barrymore grew up in West Hollywood on Poinsettia Place. When she was seven years old, her family relocated to Sherman Oaks. However, young Barrymore got emancipated at age 14, and she moved back to West Hollywood soon after.
When Drew was only a child, in 1984, her parents divorced. Later in 1991, in her autobiography, the famous actress recounted memories of her abusive father, who left her and the family when she was less than a year old.
Like many young actors, Barrymore’s childhood was far from easy. Even as a young girl, she was a regular at Studio 54 and was partying way too often. She spoke of this period and her mother’s behavior in her book:
“She had lost credibility as a mother by taking me to Studio 54 (so wrong, but so fun) instead of school…Work was a very positive thing in my life, and sadly it had been taken away because my mother also put me in an institution. After all, she felt helpless. But when people found out, they just wrote me off as damaged goods, and I sadly understood that.”
She started drinking and smoking while in elementary school, and used cocaine as early as in the eighth grade. At age 13, she was placed in rehab, and eventually spent 18 months in an institution for the mentally ill.
At 14 years old, Drew Barrymore attempted suicide. Her suicide attempt took her back to rehab, after which she spent three months with David Crosby, the singer, and his family.
After a juvenile court petition, she got emancipated and got her own apartment at the age of 15.
Personal Life
Drew Barrymore’s personal life has been tumultuous as well.
In 1991, she got engaged to Leland Hayward’s grandson, Leeland III, but their engagement was called off not long after.
Between 1992 and 1993, she was engaged to Jamie Walters, but the couple never married.
In March 1994, Barrymore married Jeremy Thomas but filed for divorce less than two months later.
In 2000, she married the MTV comedian and host Tom Green, who she started dating in 1999. She and Green were co-stars in Charlie’s Angels and Freddy Got Fingered, but they eventually divorced in 2002.
The same year the divorce was finalized, Barrymore started dating Fabrizio Moretti, The Strokes’ drummer. Their relationship lasted for nearly five years.
In 2012, she announced her engagement to art consultant Will Kopelman, who she started dating in early 2011. They got married in Montecito, California in June 2012, and have two daughters together, Olive and Frankie, born in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
In 2016, Barrymore and Kopelman announced that they had separated and, in August of the same year, the divorce was finalized.
Drew Barrymore Net Worth: From a Child Star to One of Hollywood’s Most Successful
Being born to famous parents and a family of actors took Barrymore to great career success as early as her childhood. The child star started her career when she was eleven months old – only a baby!
Let’s take a look at how her career progressed over the years.
Early Career
When Barrymore was eleven years old, she appeared in a dog food commercial. Her film debut was in 1980, aged five. She appeared in Altered States.
Soon after, Barrymore starred in what turned out to be her breakout role. She played Gertie in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which was the highest-grossing film of the 80s, making her one of the most successful child actors of the time. E.T. was produced by Barrymore’s godfather, Steven Spielberg.
For her role in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Barrymore won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for the Rising Star Award at the British Academy Film Awards and for Best Supporting Actress at the Utah Film Critics Association Awards.
After her debut and breakout role, Drew Barrymore was everywhere! In 1982, she became the youngest person to guest-host Saturday Night Live in the eighth season of the series.
Two years later, she landed a role in Firestarter, a movie adaptation of Stephen King‘s same-titled novel. The same year, she took a role in Irreconcilable Differences, for which she got her first nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Some other roles she took on in the 1980s include:
- Cat’s Eye (1985)
- See You in the Morning (1989)
- Far from Home (1989)
Barrymore’s Career in the 1990s
The 1990s were a highly successful period for the young American actress, but also quite rebellious. She posed nude for the cover of Interview magazine when she was seventeen years old, and once again for the 1995 issue of Playboy. As a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, she flashed her breasts to the host as a birthday gift.
As for her movie roles in this period, Barrymore initially took a role in Poison Ivy, a minor box-office success, but still highly popular on cable.
For her role in Guncrazy, Barrymore was nominated for her second Golden Globe Award, this time for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. She then played in No Place to Hide and Doppelganger, among other roles, including:
- Bad Girls (1994)
- Boys on the Side (1995)
- Batman Forever (1995)
- Scream (1996)
- The Wedding Singer (1998)
- Home Fries (1998)
- Ever After (1998)
- Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
- Never Been Kissed (1999) – acted and co-produced
Charlie’s Angels and Growing Success
Drew Barrymore started the 2000s with a bang, taking on the role that she is most famous for even today – one of Charlie’s Angels. The now-established star acted in this major box-office success alongside Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, playing the trio of Los Angeles investigators.
At this point, Barrymore had already established her production company, and acted as one of the film’s producers, solidifying her reputation as a diversified professional.
After Charlie’s Angels, Drew Barrymore starred in:
- Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
- Donnie Darko (2001)
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
- Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
- Duplex (2003)
- 50 First Dates (2004)
- Fever Pitch (2005)
- Curious George (2006)
- Music and Lyrics (2007)
- He’s Just Not That Into You (2009)
Winning Her First Golden Globe Award
In 2009, Drew Barrymore starred in Grey Gardens, one of the biggest commercial successes in her career. She played Edith Bouvier Beale in the HBO film, which got her a nomination for the Emmy Award. This role won her the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film, as well as the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance.
Other Movie Roles for the Famous Actress
After her first Golden Globe, Drew Barrymore took some highly-paid, very successful roles in films, including:
- Everybody’s Fine (2009)
- Going the Distance (2010)
- Big Miracle (2012)
- Blended (2014)
- Miss You Already (2015)
- Santa Clarita Diet (2017) – Netflix original series
- The Stand-In (2020)
In March 2021, after decades on the small screens, Drew Barrymore announced that she was taking a break from acting – an indefinite hiatus, for that matter. She hasn’t taken any new roles since.
Earnings from Movies and Series
For the most part, Drew Barrymore’s earnings from individual roles haven’t been disclosed to the public, as can be expected. However, we did find some details of her earnings from film roles over the years:
- Donnie Darko earned her $500,000
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind earned her $250,000
- Mad Love earned her $1.5 million
- Ever After earned her $3 million
- Charlie’s Angels earned her $9 million ($14 million for the Charlie’s Angels sequel)
- Music and Lyrics earned her $15 million
This accounts for nearly $43 million and only covers a small portion of her TV roles. Her films have complied a box office gross of over $2.3 billion and, in 2006, she was tied for eighth place on the top ten list of salaries of female actors, commanding 10-12 million dollars per film!
Awards and Accolades
Such a successful film and TV career most definitely led to prestigious awards, some of which include:
- MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Kiss (1998) for The Wedding Singer
- Actress of the Year Award (1999) by the Hollywood Film Festival Awards
- Former Child Star “Lifetime Achievement” Award (1999) by the Young Artist Foundation
- Motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2004)
- People’s Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (2005) for 50 First Dates
- Named Ambassador Against Huger for the United Nations World Food Programme (donating $1 million to the cause) in 2007
- Golden Globe Award for Best Performance (2010) for Grey Gardens
- MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Host (2023) for The Drew Barrymore Show
- Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress (1998, 1999, 2001) for Charlie’s Angels, The Wedding Singer, and Ever After
Production Company, Businesses, and Assets of Drew Barrymore
In addition to her many successful films, Drew Barrymore has been excelling in several other fields. Over the years, she has opened and managed several business ventures, founded her own production company, started her own show, and invested heavily in assets such as real estate.
The Drew Barrymore Show
In 2020, Drew Barrymore launched her daily talk show. The Drew Barrymore Show is currently in its fourth season and airs on CBS. On it, Barrymore has welcomed many of her former co-stars, including Adam Sandler and Cameron Diaz, as well as other celebrities such as Justin Long, Selma Blair, Jessica Alba, and Serena Williams.
The syndicated talk show is also available on Spotify as a podcast.
Barrymore as a Producer
In addition to being a major Hollywood star and actress, Barrymore is a television producer – and a successful one, for that matter. She co-founded her own production company titled Flower Films, which has produced several films in which she also starred.
Flower Films has existed since 1995 and was created in partnership with Nancy Juvonen. It has produced most of the actress’ movies between 1999 and 2000, including Donnie Darko, Never Been Kissed, Fever Pitch, and 50 First Dates. Through this company, Barrymore also owns the film rights to the Charlie’s Angels franchise, and it produced the two original films and the 2019 reboot.
Barrymore’s directorial debut was with the film Whip It, which follows a high school student who participates in a roller derby league after ditching a teen beauty pageant.
The actress’ directorial debut was not a major success, but it got her nominations for:
- Bronze Horse (Stockholm Film Festival)
- EDA Female Focus Award (Alliance of Women Film Journalists)
After her successful directorial debut, Barrymore was the executive producer of He’s Not Just That Into You, produced through Flower Films as well.
In 2011, Barrymore also directed a music video for the song “Our Deal” for Best Coast.
Other Business Ventures
Over the years, Drew Barrymore has invested in – and founded several ventures and lines. Her businesses include a range of homeware, clothing, wines, and cosmetics.
For starters, there is the cookware, appliances, and kitchen gadgets line called Beautiful by Drew Barrymore, which can be found at Walmart.
In addition to this line, Barrymore launched Flower by Drew, a cosmetics line with cruelty-free makeup products.
Barrymore launched her women’s fashion line in 2017, titled Dear Drew, which she did in collaboration with Amazon. The line featured a pop-up shop in New York City.
Finally, Flower Home is Barrymore’s home decor, wallpaper, and paint line, also found at Walmart.
As of January 2024, Barrymore is the chief gifting officer of Etsy.
Bibliography
Even though she is on a hiatus from acting, Drew continues to work in different fields, including publishing and literature. So far, she has published a photobook, her autobiographical essays, a cookbook, and even launched her own lifestyle magazine.
Barrymore is a best-selling author of the following books:
- “Little Girl Lost” (1990) – memoir
- ” Find It in Everything” (2014) – New York Times bestselling photobook
- “Wildflower” (2015) – autobiographical stories
- “Rebel Homemaker: Food. Family. Life” (2021)- cookbook written with chef Pilar Valdes
In June 2021, the actress launched a quarterly lifestyle magazine titled Drew Magazine with the help of publisher Bauer Media USA.
Real Estate
Over the years, the media darling Barrymore made headlines for her profitable real estate deals. For instance, in 2019, she spent $5.5 million on a property near the beach in the Hamptons. She sold this property in May 2024 for $8.45 million.
In 2010, the actress spent $5.5 million on a Montecito mansion, which she sold in 2013 for $7.35 million.
In 2018, she sold a property in Hollywood Hills for $16.5 million, though we don’t know how much she spent on it.
What Can We Learn from Drew Barrymore’s Story?
Drew Barrymore’s story is a powerful example of resilience and reinvention, as well as talent.
The actress’ story, especially in her teen years, is one of transformation and basically, survival. She experienced grand challenges during this time, including drug and alcohol abuse that led to rehab and her emancipation at only 14 years old! Despite these struggles, Barrymore’s resilience allowed her to re-establish herself in Hollywood and life, showing us that one can overcome the greatest challenges if they have the resilience and desire to do so.
Barrymore’s career renaissance began in her early 20s when she rose from a troubled child star to a respected actress and producer. This ability to pivot her image, as well as embrace new opportunities, played the biggest role in her success.
At this point, she became known for he roles in romantic comedies, but over the years, she diversified her acting portfolio, demonstrating her skills to the world.
Barrymore’s success is also attributed to her ability to successfully diversify her income streams. Beyond acting, she ventured into business by launching her production company, a cosmetics line, and other ventures and projects. Such a diversification significantly contributed to her already impressive net worth.
Finally, Drew Barrymore’s life teaches us the power of authenticity. She has been very open about her past struggles and mistakes, which has added depth to her public persona and endeared her to fans. This willingness to share the toughest parts of her life helped her maintain a loyal fan base and inspire many.