She’s lived her life in the spotlight having shot to fame at the age of seven when she starred as Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but despite the pressure that women – especially those in the entertainment industry – face actress and TV show host Drew Barrymore isn’t phased by the fact she’s in her 50s.

‘50 = The B-Side of life — where the real magic starts to spin! She said on Instagram last week, sharing a make-up free selfie to go with it. Naturally her friends and followers were quick to comment.

‘Thank you for being natural in this world full of plastic people,’ one wrote. ‘It’s so nice to see a celebrity aging gracefully’ whilst another shared, ‘Oh my! How beautiful are you!?! You are an inspiration to all of us!’

Barrymore celebrated her 50th birthday on 22 February with a special episode of her talk show The Drew Barrymore Show. Not only was the Charlies Angels star given two cakes – designed by her daughters Olive, 12, and Frankie, 11, who she shares with her art consultant ex-husband Will Kopelman – from Flour Shop founder and baker Amirah Kassem, but her BFFs and co-stars Cameron Diaz and Adam Sandler also shared some heartwarming birthday messages, as did director Steven Spielberg. 

Clearly relishing her 50s, Barrymore has spoken positively about aging over the years. In a recent snippet of The Drew Barrymore Show – which has been on air since 2020 – when asked by an audience member, ‘What is your secret to aging gracefully and being so comfortable in your own skin for so many years?’ during a Q&A, Barrymore had the perfect response.

‘I haven’t done anything and I want to try and stay that way,’ she explained. ‘But I also am like, do whatever works for you. I know this woman who went through so much stuff in her life, and she just did something and it made her feel so good about herself, and it changed her whole perspective. We’re all on our own path, and we have to support each other.

‘I want to tell myself not to be so mean to myself. I cannot believe the first thing we say and do when we look in the mirror. How many beautiful moments do we even get the privilege of seeing our reflection and that person looking back at us is us? So the kinder, more patient, more resilient, more loving, embracing, less dismissive that we can be, the better it is for our mental game and spiritual game, which affects the face.’

She continued, ‘A smile is better than any lipstick you’ll buy, and internal dialogue that isn’t so eviscerating of ourselves and so quick to catch a flaw — who says that’s the flaw, by the way, that might be someone else’s favourite thing about you… how ironic. It isn’t how you look, it’s how you feel.’

And she’s always been like this! In 2019 Barrymore told NewBeauty, ‘I do feel like I’m on an upswing. I just went through a couple of hard years, and I can see it wearing on my face. It’s not about aging, it’s about how I am on the inside.

‘There’s also a very long period when you’re raising kids when it takes it out of you. When it depletes your ability to take care of yourself because your new job is doing nothing but taking care of someone else and you love it.’ She continued, ‘I’m not all about working from the inside out—I’m not big on meditation—but I do think your outside cannot hide your inside. I’m now determined more than ever to show my daughters that aging is a luxury. If we’re lucky, we are all going to age. I just want them to be at peace with who they are and not what they look like.’

Plus, back in 2010 Barrymore told Woman’s Day, ‘It’s the best time of my life – it’s not traumatic at all. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. It’s like the older I get, the better I get. Gravity and wrinkles are fine with me. They’re a small price to pay for the new wisdom inside my head and my heart. If my breasts fall down to the floor and everything starts to sag, becoming hideous and gross, I won’t worry. I’ll stop appearing in front of the camera. That’s fine with me because I love producing and directing.’

The secret to her eternal good looks then? Happiness. Later in the same interview she added, ‘I’m happy and I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness.’