Barrymore said she learned to be a “strong, independent woman” growing up by watching ‘The Facts of Life’
Drew Barrymore is having a memorable 49th birthday.
In the Thursday edition The Drew Barrymore Showthe television presenter was surprised Facts of life cast in honor of a special occasion. As soon as she heard the theme song of the iconic sitcom, she started shouting the lyrics before she was speechless.
Then Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon and Mindy Cohn joined Barrymore and Ross Mathews on stage, and 50 first dates star excitedly shared, “Oh my God, do you know what a gift this is to everyone? I mean, you’re our life!”
The cast of “The Facts of Life” reunites in honor of Drew Barrymore’s 49th birthday.
Drew Barrymore/Youtube
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If the reunion wasn’t enough, the former cast members presented Barrymore with a monogram Facts of life bag — which is given only to the cast and crew. It was full of roasts in honor of the late Charlotte Rae, who played Edna Garrett on the sitcom that ran for nine seasons from 1979 to 1988.
Barrymore went on to tell the trio what an impact the NBC series has had on her life, saying, “I think for those of us who also didn’t grow up in a traditional mom-dad or two-parent household — I love my mom and my dad, too; I love our dynamic, I wouldn’t change a thing — but I saw you because you were raising yourselves, you were raising each other, and Ms. Garrett was, like, at the forefront of that.”
“It made more sense for the life I was living than any other environment,” she added. “Television (was) a lot about a difficult family and I didn’t connect and I didn’t identify, I didn’t see myself there.”
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Nancy McKeon as Joanna ‘Jo’ Marie Polniaczek Bonner, Mindy Cohn as Natalie Letisha Sage Green, Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Edna Ann Garrett, Lisa Whelchel as Blair Warner, Kim Fields as Dorothy ‘Tootie’ Ramsey in “The Facts of Life.”
Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty
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The Different moves the spin-off introduced the audience to mother Edna Garrett and four young women at a boarding school for girls in New York.
“What I’ve been learning is to be a strong, independent woman who can take care of herself and appreciate female friendship and know that there’s someone looking out for them, Mrs. Garrett,” Barrymore said.
“You gave me a plan that made my life better in every sense of the word,” she continued.
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During Thursday’s episode, Scream the star was also blindfolded and taken out to fulfill one of her childhood dreams: a ride in the Wienermobile.
After a tense countdown, she removed her blindfold and squealed with joy at the sight of the iconic 27-foot hot dog vehicle. Barrymore couldn’t hide her shock, but said she sensed a surprise.
“This is so crazy! I thought, ‘Don’t tell me it’s the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile!'” she said, dropping to her knees and crawling (unsuccessfully) towards the vehicle.
“I tried to crawl, but it doesn’t work in this dress,” she laughed, gathering her colorful dress in her hands and standing up to hug Oscar Mayer’s female employees, also known as “Hot Doggers.”
“Are you ready to enter the Wienermobile?” Matthews asked.
“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this,” Barrymore replied confidently.
The actress gave fans a glimpse of her getting ready for the show on Instagram and detailed her look, which included a rainbow Jenny Packham dress, Irene Neuwirth jewelry and Marc Jacobs boots.
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Barrymore’s birthday celebration didn’t stop there. She also posted a behind-the-scenes montage on Instagram of her celebrating her birthday with her talk show crew.
“There’s no other way I’d want to spend my 49th birthday than here with my family @thedrewbarrymoreshow. I’m so grateful,” she shared alongside the clip, which includes receiving hugs from crew members and her curated wardrobe.
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Source: HIS Education