TWICE-married serial dater Drew Barrymore was the perfect choice to join the cast of the romantic comedy, He’s Just Not That Into You, the much anticipated movie based on Greg Behrendt’s best-selling relationships bible.
Barrymore plays a technology-challenged sales rep befuddled by text message and MySpace courtship and said she had no trouble empathising with 20- and 30-somethings navigating the murky waters of modern day love.
“I related to Mary and her trials and tribulations of trying to find the right guy,” says Barrymore.
“And I loved the fact that her friends are all trying to figure it out with her in this modern, sometimes unromantic, confusing, technological approach to romance.”
As the film’s executive producer, Barrymore assembled a dream team cast, including A-listers Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Connelly.
The movie also stars Barrymore’s ex boyfriend, Justin Long, also known as the “Mac” guy from Apple’s global advertising campaign.
The couple split in July last year, and Barrymore is now rumoured to be dating How I Met Your Mother Star Jason Segel.
Has she finally found the one? “I’m at a really good place in my life,”beams Barrymore.
“I feel I have a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, and I can’t really remember the last time I’ve felt so happy. I don’t have any nagging doubts about anything.”
Barrymore attributes her patchy relationship resume to a free-wheeling childhood which led to infamous teenage stints in re-hab.
“I’ve never really understood how I should feel or behave in a relationship,” Drew admits. “I didn’t have the kind of childhood or family life which would have given me any perspective on what a happy home life or relationship would feel like.
“My father was literally out of his mind and my mother was more like a friend than a real mom to me.”
The 33-year-old says like most girls with a broken heart, she survives her own break-ups by rallying her friends.
“I haven’t had as much happiness or success in my past relationships as I would have liked,” she says. “So sometimes that can be unsettling.
“What’s helped me is having really good and close friends who I have always been able to rely on and who have supported me and been there for me.”
Barrymore’s gal pal and Charlie’s Angels co-star Cameron Diaz is always on hand to go shopping, take a girls trip or dish relationship advice.
“She’s one of the greatest friends anyone could ever have,” says Barrymore. “She has so much love and spirit and positive energy to her.
“We just spend so much time having fun and laughing together but we are also there to support each other through the bad times. That’s what true friendship is all about.”
Barrymore’s love life might be unsteady, but her career is rock solid.
The once flaky actress has become a mini mogul in Hollywood with a successful production company, Flower Films. “I’m a workhorse. When I get started on something, I never quit,” says Barrymore.
“Becoming a producer has given me so much satisfaction because I’ve seen how efficient and determined I can be as a businesswoman.
“I might have been a mess in other areas of my life, but having succeeded as a producer has given me a sense of stability and confidence that I never had when I was growing up.”
Next up, Barrymore will add another string to her bow by directing Whip It, a roller derby comedy starring Juno’s Ellen Page.
Then she’s back in front of the camera featuring in Everything’s Fine, alongside Robert De Niro.
In her limited spare time, Barrymore is also an ambassador for the United Nations World Food Program, donating a hefty $US1 million to the organisation last year. Read the rest of this entry »
