‘E.T.’ Star, 13, Treated for Drinking Problem

Drew Barrymore, the actress whose role in “E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial” made her one of the hottest child stars since Shirley Temple, was treated for alcohol abuse at a rehabilitation center and released “a couple of days ago,” her publicist said Thursday.

The statement by PMK publicist George Freeman came the same week in which it was announced that the 13-year-old Barrymore, a member of one of America’s most famous acting families, will star as a young girl who enters a treatment facility for drug dependency in “Getting Straight,” a CBS School-break Special, which begins filming Jan. 4.

“I know she’s looking forward to getting back to work, especially in this production,” said Freeman, who declined to identify the treatment center or indicate how long the actress had had a drinking problem. “She is in good health and great spirits.”

Freeman said Barrymore was declining all interview requests. The publicist would not provide further details of the actress’ problem.

A CBS spokeswoman said Thursday that the after-school special, which will also star Tatum O’Neal, is slated to air March 28. It will go into production as planned, without any cast changes, she said.

“We wish her well, obviously,” the spokeswoman said of Barrymore.

After beginning her professional career at age 11 months in a dog food commercial, Barrymore made her feature film debut portraying actor William Hurt’s daughter in “Altered States.”

But her big break came when director Steven Spielberg cast her as the younger sister, Gertie, in the 1982 blockbuster “E. T.,” which made her a household name.

She followed that success with starring roles in “Firestarter,” “Cat’s Eye” and “Irreconcilable Differences.” But none of the films were box office hits.

Made-for-TV Movies

As Barrymore got older, she acted mainly in made-for-TV movies--including “Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn” and most recently, “Conspiracy of Love,” which aired in 1987 on CBS.

“I wondered where she was and what she was doing,” one television executive, who declined to be identified, said Thursday. “But this makes my jaw drop.”

A favorite guest of Johnny Carson on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Barrymore after “E. T.” became known for her combination of precocious talent and down-to-earth normalcy.

Yet her charmed life included a buddyship with Spielberg and an introduction to Princess Diana (at the royal viewing of “E. T.” at London’s Empire Theater). She also had the distinction of being the youngest “Ladies Home Journal” cover subject ever. And she was the youngest host of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

The British Film Academy nominated her for its equivalent of the Academy Award for her role in “E. T.”

Barrymore is the daughter of one-time actor John Drew Barrymore Jr., now a poet and recluse, and his third wife, Hungarian-born writer/actress Ildiko Jaid, who once told a reporter, “I just hope Drew got our better qualities and none of our worst.”

The famous acting family has a long history of alcoholism.

Barrymore, who lives with her mother, is the granddaughter of John Barrymore Sr., perhaps the most famous romantic movie star of the 1920s. She is the grand-niece of Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, who both won Academy Awards.

According to the authoritative reference work, “The Filmgoer’s Companion,” Barrymore Sr. was a “misguided talent, who later squandered his talents in inferior comedies caricaturing his own alcoholism and debauchery.” His daughter, Diana, who was reportedly also an alcoholic, died at 38.

John Drew Barrymore Jr., meanwhile, has a history of drug arrests, as well as public brawling with two of his wives.