Drew Barrymore recently opened up about the pivotal role Bad Girls (1994) played in shaping her life during an emotional reunion with her co-star Andie MacDowell on The Drew Barrymore Show. Reflecting on her time filming the western, Barrymore admitted, “When we did Bad Girls, I was 16. I was such a dumbass,” but also acknowledged how much that film impacted her. “I always talk about how much it changed my life. If I hadn’t done that film, there’s no way I’d be sitting here right now.”
Bad Girls, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, tells the story of four prostitutes—played by Barrymore, MacDowell, Madeleine Stowe, and Mary Stuart Masterson—who embark on a journey to escape their pasts, only to find themselves pursued by detectives. Barrymore credited the film with teaching her valuable lessons about filmmaking and collaboration, saying, “It was that film that showed me if you care about something, be involved. I had not been on a film like that, which was really my school.”
Barrymore fondly recalled how the film sets felt like “little traveling circuses,” a sentiment echoed by MacDowell, who humorously noted, “My family used to tease me and tell me that I was gonna join the circus, and I did. I joined the circus.”
The conversation also touched on another emotional Bad Girls reunion in 2024, where Dermot Mulroney joined Barrymore and her co-stars on set. The reunion was marked by an emotional exchange between Barrymore and Mulroney, who expressed how proud he was of her resilience. “You were so good to me. I really was, like, a lost 17-year-old,” Barrymore shared, while Mulroney called her an “incredible survivor.”
The reunion highlighted the lasting bonds between the cast and the profound impact Bad Girls had on Barrymore’s life and career.