Drew Barrymore Gets Candid About Her Famous Dad in Father's Day Tribute

"I think I would have liked to have a dad who didn't look so out there. Or who stayed. Or was capable of anything really. But his wildness runs through me," Drew shared on Instagram.

By Alyssa Morin Jun 21, 2020 5:30 PMTags
Drew BarrymoreShutterstock

Father's Day can mean different things to everyone.

On Sunday, Drew Barrymore got refreshingly candid about her famous dad and late actor, John Drew Barrymore. The Charlie's Angels alum took to Instagram to share a heartwarming and honest message about what it was like growing up with a parent who didn't "fit" society's idea of a father.

"My mom chose a wild card for my dad. He was a mad poet hedonist man child! But I understood that as a kid. Somehow I have zero baggage or dad issues," Drew began her post, alongside a throwback image of her dad and mother, Jaid Barrymore.

"I think I would have liked to have a dad who didn't look so out there. Or who stayed. Or was capable of anything really. But his wildness runs through me," the 45-year-old actress continued. "His gifts are here. His demons to overcome are mine to break! I love him not for who I wanted him to be, but for who he was. And as I look at all the photos of dads today, doing their dad job, sure, there is my tiny self that wished for him to fit in. But he never did."

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Stars Celebrate Father's Day 2020

"And I'm not sure I did either. I'm not sure what anything is supposed to look like, or what it really is beyond the images?! But I do know this... both my parents have played a major role in who I am as a parent," the Santa Clarita Diet star said.

She added, "And none of it looks perfect. But it functions with so much love. And togetherness. And availability. I don't have a picture of a dad today to show how great everything was. I have a picture to show what it was. And that is my story."

As some fans will know, the actress legally emancipated from her parents when she was 14 years old. Her father left her mother when she was nine years old. However, despite Drew's unconventional upbringing, she said that's what makes it "perfect."

"My dad gave me the gift of life! A wicked sense of humor! And that wildness that I truly do cherish," she closed her Instagram message.

Drew is the proud mother to two daughters, Olive (7) and Frankie (6), whom she shares with her ex-husband, Arie Kopelman.

Like the Santa Clarita Diet star, other celebrities have taken to social media to honor their fathers, as well as the mothers who raise their kids alone.

"Happy Father's Day Mom," Bachelor star Matt James wrote on Instagram.

Amy Schumer shared, "More than anything happy Father's Day to all the single mothers out there who did both. I love my dad but my mom did it all. Love you mom don't tell dad about this post he's not on IG."