In Entertainment today, we listen to an interview with the Hollywood actress,

Drew Barrymore. She talks about her troubled times growing up after she

played Gertie (at the age of 7!) in the huge hit movie, ET, and how she copes

with fame, now she is a grown-up, successful actress and producer.

In her new film, ‘Music and Lyrics’, she plays opposite the English star Hugh

Grant. So what was that like?!

Drew says that there was a ‘weird’ (that means strange) feeling about them as a

couple. She says they made an ‘odd couple’ (an unusual couple), and that there

was an ‘odd couple’ sort of ‘vibe’, or feeling, about them …

As you listen to her description, try to catch the Chinese expression she uses

about herself and Hugh Grant – it means opposites!

Drew Barrymore

‘There really was this weird, odd couple sort of vibe about us. I mean, Hugh and I in real life

are completely different – we’re total yin and yang. I’m absolutely optimist and sun-shiny and

Hugh is absolutely very tense and intense!’

Amber: So Drew Barrymore says that she and Hugh Grant are very different kinds of

people – she says they’re ‘total’ (that’s American for ‘very’) ‘yin and yang’.

Yin means darkness and negativity, and yang means light and motivation.

She says she is an optimist and that she’s a ‘sun-shiny’, or happy, person. She

says Hugh seems to her to be ‘tense and intense’ – worried and serious. 

Drew Barrymore © BBC Learning English

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Next, Drew Barrymore talks about her troubled times growing up. She not only

had to deal with the anti-climax that followed fame as a child star in ET, as a

teenager, she struggled to overcome her addiction to drugs and alcohol. So

when she looks back at her life now, does it seem like a different person? As

you listen, try to catch the image she uses at the end to describe experiencing

failure and working through it.

Drew Barrymore

‘No, I think it was just like every young person has to figure out who they are. I was a bit

younger because I had to grow up so fast because of my job, and it was obviously more public

than some people have experienced it, but it’s just the same emotion that everybody goes

through – which is, you know, growing pains, and falling on your face and picking yourself

back up again.’

Amber: So Drew Barrymore says she was like any young person trying to ‘figure out’,

or decide, who she was. She says her ‘growing pains’ – her feelings as she

grew up – were normal.

Finally, she talks about being like a garden! It’s a nice image for thinking

about the need to look after herself! As you listen, try to catch one of the three

verbs she uses to describe looking after the garden!

Drew Barrymore

‘You know, sometimes you have to take a time out from people in life. You know, but I don’t

think you should beat yourself up too much for that. Sometimes some maturing and watering

and nurturing of the garden is sort of important to make it regrow when you’ve burnt it

down.’

Amber: So Drew Barrymore believes sometimes we have to spend time apart from

other people – we need ‘time out’ from them. And that, like a garden, we need 

Drew Barrymore © BBC Learning English

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to do some ‘maturing’, ‘watering and nurturing’ of ourselves – especially when

we’re tired, or ‘burnt’! Good advice!

Listen again.

Drew Barrymore

‘You know, sometimes you have to take a time out from people in life. You know, but I don’t

think you should beat yourself up too much for that. Sometimes some maturing and watering

and nurturing of the garden is sort of important to make it regrow when you’ve burnt it

down.’

Amber: Now here’s a list of the language we focussed on in the programme today.

weird

odd couple

vibe

yin and yang

sun-shiny

tense and intense

to figure something out

growing pains

to pick yourself up

time out