Drew Barrymore is known for her candid and vulnerable interview style on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that allows her to connect with guests in a unique way. However, before she became a talk show host, she was a trailblazer in creating female movie characters that resonated with young women around the world. In an interview with Insider in April, Barrymore highlighted some of the choices she made while filming the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise that she believes advanced the representation of women, but may have been overlooked by audiences.
Actress and producer Drew Barrymore reflects on how the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise represented women as strong but still feminine characters, breaking gender stereotypes on screen.
In the 2000 film remake of the classic 1970s TV series “Charlie’s Angels,” Barrymore produced and starred alongside Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. She emphasized that the iconic trio of detectives didn’t “act like men or try to pretend they were masculine,” even during physically demanding fight scenes. Barrymore described her character Dylan and her partners Alex and Natalie as women who didn’t want to “suddenly become men, hate men, or try to be the man.” She explained that while the Angels were dating, they were still focused on their mission, just like real-life women.
Barrymore believes that the Angels embody true feminism. They do not try to be like men or take down the other gender but rather stand as equals with their male counterparts united in their mission. She explained that the Angels and the characters she played in films like “Ever After” wanted love stories, but also wanted to be their own rescuers.
Lucy Liu’s Response to Bill Murray’s Insults Showed Drew Barrymore the Importance of Speaking Up at Work
On a July 2021 episode of the “Asian Enough” podcast, Lucy Liu recounted an incident where her “Charlie’s Angels” co-star Bill Murray showed up to a rehearsal uninvited and insulted her. While Liu did not go into detail about the specific insults, she deemed the language used by Murray “inexcusable and unacceptable.” Liu stood up for herself, despite being “low on the totem pole” at the time, and did not regret doing so.
Barrymore praised Liu’s response on her talk show, emphasizing the importance of speaking up for oneself in the workplace and having colleagues who support and respect each other. She admired Liu for not tiptoeing around the incident and instead confronting it head-on.
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Barrymore’s promotion of Tidy Cats Comfort, available exclusively at Walmart, coincides with a contest where participants can get decorating tips from her for their litter-box space. Walmart also sells Barrymore’s home decor and appliance line, “Beautiful by Drew Barrymore.”
