Drinking at 9 and a mental institution at 13, here's a throwback at Drew Barrymore's childhood

Charlie's Angel and zombie mom Drew Barrymore comes across as a bubbly chirpy personality, but the actress has had a tough and dark past. She got fame very early in life but despite it all, she struggled for the most part of it.

When Drew Barrymore starred as a child actor in Steven Spielberg's film ET the Extra-Terrestrial, she was touted to be the next big thing. But things soon spiralled when the star ended up in a life of alcohol and drugs.

'I knew I would not repeat the mistakes of my parents'

Drew revealed that her parents got divorced when she was nine. At such a young age too, her mother would take her to nightclubs five times a week. She soon started taking drugs and hung out with older men. Things got so bad that she had to check into a mental institution at the age of 13.

She stayed there for one and a half years but her mom only visited her occasionally. She finally emancipated herself from her parents when she turned 14 and started living by herself.

The 40-year-old actress says that she learned a lot from her childhood. Speaking of motherhood, the actress said, 'I knew I would not repeat the mistakes of my parents. I knew I would never do that to a kid.'

She also added, 'I would never have had children unless I was incredibly stable and willing to put them first. I don't want my girls to grow up saying, 'Oh wow, yeah, she really worked hard, but I didn't see her.'

Looking back at her career she said, 'I felt that everything I did in film mattered. It was my whole world and now it's kids, friends, marriage, work, health.'

Drew is currently married to Will Kopelman, 38. This is her third marriage.