Drew Barrymore is an American sweetheart. The actress has been working in front of the camera since she was a child, having made her debut with Altered States in 1980. And two years later, Barrymore found her breakthrough in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Then in the ’90s and 2000s, she became the rom-com queen with hit after hits, especially because of her chemistry with Adam Sandler.
But did you know that there was a time when Drew Barrymore was considered to be ugly? Her production company, Flower Films’ first movie started Barrymore in the lead in a movie titled Never Been Kissed (1999). The rom-com went on to become a hit and opened a new door of adventures for the actress. But while the movie was being filmed, Barrymore had to go through some issues before she could come out on top.
Drew Barrymore Was “too unattractive” For The Studios
Back in 1999, Drew Barrymore‘s production company Flower Films had their first project in hand. The movie Never Been Kissed stars the 49-year-old actress in the lead as Josie. The movie shows Barrymore as a nerdy writer who goes back to her High School for an article and ends up falling in love with the teacher there.
But her nerdy look did not sit well with the producers of the movie, who called her character too unattractive. Speaking to Hey Dude the 90s Called podcast hosts Christine Taylor and David Lascher, on The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress revealed:
“I would get these calls from the studio, and they were like, ‘I’m sorry, but you’re just looking too unattractive’… And then they said something that appealed to my sensibilities rather than my ego. They were like, ‘We don’t want you to lose the heart ’cause you’re going so far for the comedy.'”
She said that she was forced to tone down the unattractiveness of her character to appease the studios.
Drew Barrymore Had a Clenched Stomach The Whole Time She Was Filming The Rom-Com
For actors to become producers is not a new thing, at least not now. But back in the 90s and early 2000s, when Drew Barrymore was just starting out with her production company, it was a big deal when actors would also be the producers of their projects. And the actress knew that if the movie didn’t do well on the first try, the possibility was that they wouldn’t get another chance with another project and that would be the end of her production company.
“I was very stressed. I was so scared during the whole film ’cause I knew if it didn’t work we weren’t gonna get another chance,” Further adding, “I had a clenched stomach the whole time.”
Thankfully, the movie was a hit, and Never Been Kissed earned $84.6 million on a budget of $25 million. The movie is available for streaming on Apple TV and Starz.
