Drew Barrymore Shares How Her New Role Helped Her Get Her Confidence Back: "I Had Sort of Let Myself Go"

The actress recently divorced her husband of nearly four years in 2016

By Samantha Schnurr Jan 27, 2017 4:33 PMTags
Drew BarrymoreCarlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Drew Barrymore has her head held high. 

As the leading star of Netflix's newest series, The Santa Clarita Diet, the longtime actress is taking on the role of a California real estate agent suddenly turning into a zombie.

While the character is unlike anyone in her acting repertoire, playing Sheila Hammond had an even greater personal effect on Barrymore. 

"[The role] came sort of in the middle of a moment in my life where I had sort of let myself go due to personal circumstances," she told Today's Natalie Morales on Friday.

The personal circumstances Barrymore might have been referring to was her recent split from husband Will Kopelman after nearly four years of marriage. The exes, who share daughters Olive, 4, and Frankie, 2, confirmed their separation in April 2016. Within one month, the pair filed and finalized their divorce, a notably drama-free process in comparison to other celebrity splits. 

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Fashion Spotlight: Drew Barrymore
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In the midst of shooting the show, Barrymore confirmed she lost 20 pounds, but losing weight wasn't the only way her job affected her. 

"I thought I could come alive with Sheila and it was a really great goal line for me because I think, as much as the weight loss, everything's very subtle. It's attitudinal. It's empowerment. It's confidence. It's all of these things that shes lost in her life that I feel like I had sort of lost in my life and it was such a blessing to come alive with her," she recalled to Morales.

"It really was so positive for me."

Despite their breakup, Barrymore and her ex are committed to keeping their clan united. Whether she's cheering Kopelman on from the sidelines of the New York City Marathon or praising his involvement in the Women's March, the two continue to celebrate each other at every step. 

"We are a family," she shared told E! News in November. "We're actually blood related. My friends are my family my whole life...they're my family. Will's family is my family, and my daughters are my family. I never thought I'd be so lucky to have so many families!"

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)