Drew Barrymore Was 17 When She Starred in a Steamy Role Opposite a 58-Year-Old Tom Skerritt
Drew Barrymore has been a movie star and celebrity for more than three decades, setting the stage for several talented actors to follow in her footsteps. She is arguably among the most endearing and capable actors of her time, taking home the prestigious Golden Globe Award among over 30 others. There were no roles out of reach for this up-and-coming superstar.
Not even one that involved a sexy triste with a man over 50 when she was just underage. In fact, in 1992, Barrymore was 17 when she starred in the steamy role of Ivy opposite 58-year-old Tom Skerritt.
Drew Barrymore and her prolific acting career
The ’90s rom-com star is known for several different roles in her prolific acting career. Still, her roles in the Charlie’s Angels series, The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, and 50 First Dates ring among the top of her most recognized performances. However, they’re far from the first or most recent.
Her first debut into acting was as Bobbi Graham in Suddenly, Love, but it was when she played Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial that she reached child-star status. Her most recent gig was in the 2020 film The Stand In, but Barrymore has stepped into more behind-the-scene roles as a Producer as of late.
According to ET Canada, her most underrated performances were as the villain’s wench in 1995’s Batman Forever, the no-nonsense English teacher in Donnie Darko, Sophie Fisher in Music and Lyrics, the all too relatable Mary in He’s Just Not That Into You, and as the fierce Smashley Simpson in 2009’s Whip It.
Tom Skerritt and where you likely know him from
Skerritt is best known for playing Dallas in 1979’s Alien, David Drumlin in Contact, Duke Forrest in M*A*S*H, and Viper in the 1970 version of Top Gun. His debut, however, goes back to a 1962 film as Sgt. Stan Showalter in War Hunt, and several TV series appearances in shows like Laramie, The Real McCoys, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
According to IMDb, he is credited for 169 films — including one in the works — and contributes it to “concentration and luck. There are many prominent people in this business who choose certain types of pictures and play a derivation of a certain character they always play, so they are immediately identifiable — and they are commercially successful because of it. I have never pursued that. I just do films that I would pay five bucks to see.”
Their roles in the 1992 movie ‘Poison Ivy’
The 1992 film Poison Ivy follows a seductive young teen named Ivy, who befriends a wealthy high school introvert by the name of Sylvie (played by Roseanne’s Sara Gilbert). They find themselves attracted to each other’s lifestyles — Ivy’s wild and unconventional and Sylvie’s safe and traditional — leading to Ivy taking upon herself to take it a little further.
Barrymore’s teenage character Ivy starts seducing Sylvie’s father, Darryl. Coming from a broken home and less-stable family dynamic, Ivy craves the love and caring Cooper home. So much so that her deep emotional problems begin to unravel in her affair with Darryl as she desires to become part of the family at a disturbing level.
On the receiving side of the affair with Barrymore’s character, 58-year-old Tom Skerritt played Daryl Cooper. His character feels alienated and abandoned by his wife, Georgie, who is dying and given up on fighting to stay alive. This, combined with the fact that Ivy looks a lot like a younger Georgie, leads to Daryl being easy prey to Ivy’s intentions.
Although it’s a disturbing tale and even more so when you find out Drew Barrymore was actually underage when filming, her performance was considered exceptional, and Poison Ivy received high praise from many.
