Drew Barrymore shares a lot with her fans. And typically, she's known to keep things positive. While she's had public triumphs and downfalls, she always gives off incredible vibes when it comes to body acceptance. But even though she's looked fantastic at every size, it doesn't mean she's not interested in a few new workout routines. Working your body is an incredible way to stay healthy.
One of Drew's most recent acting projects was Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix. While the series has been canceled — to the chagrin of fans — she used the show as an excuse to change. And the reason why has everything to do with acting. She had visions that her producer didn't even think of.
On the show, Drew's character of Sheila, who's a real estate agent with her husband Joel, turns into a zombie and suddenly needs to feast on the flesh of humans. As you might expect, it's a twist uncommon to other shows today. While it ended in an unexpected cliffhanger after airing for three seasons, fans can at least know why Drew was tempted to shed weight for the role. Since Sheila ate only protein, of course she'd lose weight throughout the run of the show. The show even has "diet" in its name.
When Drew started working on the series, she was in a rough place. While things seemed steady on the outside, her marriage to Will Kopelman, whom she shares two daughters with, was crumbling. While the two have managed to co-parent beautifully for the sake of their children, even the easiest separation is never truly easy.
"If that DeLorean time machine pulled up every day, I would do it all over again," she once said on Instagram, according to Entertainment Tonight. "After all, I did get my dream. 2 healthy girls. Will and I continue to marvel at what we made and try to be the best co-parents we can be. It’s not always easy and the point is…nothing in life is. But it doesn’t mean that any bitter outweighs the sweet!"
Drew wanted Sheila to go through the same transformation from beginning to end that she did. "When I first started the show, I was 145 lbs. and my life was kind of falling apart," she said on The Late Late Show. "And I said, ‘Victor [Fresco, the show’s executive producer], can I lose 20 lbs. over the course of the show, and change my eyebrows and the height of my shoes and the body language and attitude and go from someone who’s kind of naïve and unhappy to someone who’s empowered and alive?’ And he said yes, and so I got to make that transformation."
These days, she's showing the results. Drew posted a bunch of photos on Instagram with her trainer, including an incredible before-and-after shot. She worked with Marnie Alton, and it seems like the two of them developed an incredible relationship throughout Drew's weight loss journey. "This woman is my long time teacher and dear important friend," Drew wrote. "She has helped me. Healed me. Encouraged me to keep going when I felt like being strong was an insurmountable task."
According to the actress, she's known Marnie for around 15 years. So the fact that the two were close prior to working together is likely another reason why Drew was so successful. "Marnie was the one who got me there," she wrote. "I lost 20 pounds and trained like a mother. She also is the most amazing person. She is poetry in a human being. The best heart."
She also mentioned that Marnie is highly sought out. According to Drew, her classes are always booked, proving further that she knows what she's doing in terms of fitness. "We all love to run to her for her spirit and leadership for all things healthy," Drew continued. "We hope the people in the wellness world are actually healthy in their hearts and minds. It’s not all about being terminators! It’s about how to find yourself."
"Marnie is one of the greats," Drew concluded. "Period. And if [you're] looking for a life change or to find your consistent tribe, she is where I found mine." That's quite the endorsement. But it's not like Marnie needed it to succeed — aside from the booked classes, she has more than 52,000 followers on Instagram.
It is important to remember that Drew really did look fantastic prior to the loss, as well. She's gotten healthier and put a ton of work in, but she's always been beautiful. She also still seems to have a great outlook on her body in general, which is very important with two young daughters in her care. She never bought into the Hollywood pressure to lose weight, but she wanted to do it on her own to best portray her character.
"I’ve always been a big champion of embracing your own genetics, because I was never naturally that thin," she told People back in 2019. "My goal weight does not come easily to me — it is a total Sisyphus fight. I just knew that genetically it would take starving myself and 24 hours of working out to have that type of body, and that was just not my priority. I want to run companies and have children and enjoy food and wine."
She also noted that in regard to health, it's even more important for her. Drew had her children when she was older, which means she needs to make sure she can still keep up with them. "I want to be able to chase my kids around and be a full-time mom, and as a single mom, it’s double the workload sometimes," she continued. "To maintain this at 44 years old I have to really take care of myself."
It's one of the best attitudes to take on the matter. It's important to work your body, but it's also important to enjoy life. Plus, even though she used Marnie and got incredible results, there are other forms of exercise out there that Drew has said she loved. "I love going to the clubs and dancing it off, but now that I’m a mom, that’s not my life, but I still have that person inside of me — she didn’t die!" she joked to People.
While her kids have yet to approach her about body image, she says that she already has a plan in action for when the time comes. Frankly, it's great advice for all moms out there. "I never beat myself up or forced myself to look a certain way, and my goals have not been vanity-oriented, so I’ll be able to talk to my kids in a very real way about having to work with ourselves the way that we are," she stated.
Even though Drew was motivated by her show to try to lose weight and gain strength, she likely got a lot out of the transformation. She's always been a strong woman, but she's proved she's truly capable of anything. It's probably why she's been so successful, both as an actress and as a businesswoman. Don't forget, she cofounded Flower Films and also runs her Flower Beauty line.
There's a lot you can admire about Drew. As a single mom, she's proving that she's all she needs in order to run a successful family. She's also proven that women can be powerful. Lastly, she's a great role model when it comes to body image. Remember, it's not about how thin you are — it's about how strong and healthy you feel on the inside.
