Drew Barrymore

Actress, producer and director Drew Barrymore rode a career rollercoaster before hitting the age of 25, surviving childhood stardom and adolescent drug addiction - to say nothing of a tragic family legacy of great talent, but also great pain - only to work her way up to Hollywood A-lister. Steven Spielberg's science fiction blockbuster "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) first launched the dimpled and precocious seven-year-old, though her image was shattered by tabloid photos of her partying at New York night clubs and three stints in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction by the time she was just 13 years old. Following several years of teen angst typecasting in low-budget features like "Poison Ivy" (1992), Barrymore's big, open smile resurfaced and she was tapped by filmmakers for the free-spirited energy she brought to the screen. A naturally charming lead in romantic comedies, Barrymore won over male and female audiences by playing slightly offbeat but sincere sweethearts in hits like "The Wedding Singer" (1998), "50 First Dates" (2004) and "Music and Lyrics" (2007). Her down-to-earth appeal also led to popularity in empowerment-themed chick flicks, ranging from the melodramatic "Boys on the Side" (1995) to the sublimely fun "Charlie's Angels" film franchise, which she also produced as co-owner of her own Flower Films. Well after her dark years were behind her, Barrymore continued to make entertainment news for the occasional spontaneous nudity incident or whirlwind marriage, but nothing could mar her hard-won status as a perennially popular actress and successful producer-turned-director.