In early 2023, The Lost Boys actor Corey Feldman joined Drew Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show in what would be the first time they’ve seen each other in 25 years. While reconnecting, the pair reminisced on their past friendship. They both looked back fondly at the time they spent together and shared that they were once set up on a date that turned into something more serious.
The two first went on a ‘play date’
When Barrymore was around 10 or 11 years old, she had a crush on Feldman. As she admitted on her show, “Oh yeah, I did, the biggest [crush]. But everyone did!” At the time, Feldman was 12 or 13 years old. Barrymore got her godfather – and the man who gave them their big break in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg – to set them up on a date.
Feldman then explained how the whole thing went down. “What happened was, I got a call one day. My grandmother says, ‘We got a call from Steven [Spielberg]’s office, and the little girl from E.T. wants to meet you because she’s got a crush on you.'”
To emphasize just how young they were on this “playdate,” Feldman said that they both needed to get a ride. “Of course, neither of us drove because I was still living at my grandparents’, and you were living with your mom.” Barrymore confirmed his sentiments, reminding him that they were both “years away from getting our licenses.”
“And it was so cute,” Feldman said as he continued to describe their meeting. “I remember taking you to the movies, I remember exactly which movie theater it was. We walked across the street, and you put your little hand up for me to hold. And I held your hand, and we walked across the street.” Obviously enjoying Barrymore’s company at the time, Feldman joked, “I don’t remember what movie we saw, but I remember all that.”
Going steady for the Academy Awards
The two would remain friends following their outing together. They reconnected and dated “properly” when they were both a little bit older. Barrymore actually accompanied Feldman as his date to the 1989 Academy Awards when she was 14 and he was 17.
“I remember you were going, and so, I was lucky enough to be your date,” Barrymore said. However, she said that she didn’t realize how fancy the event was going to be. “And I just threw on a cotton Betsey Johnson dress, off the rack. I don’t know how much it cost, probably $65. I remember getting there and I remember seeing people in such designer duds. And I remember looking around and thinking, ‘Oh, I’m very underdressed. I’m wearing a cotton Betsey Johnson dress. Whoops!'”
On the red carpet, Feldman sported a shaggy mullet, a cropped suit jacket, and a pair of sunglasses. Barrymore wore a tight black dress with roses on the sleeves. The two made for quite the couple. “We were such the great little, cute little item for the three months we lasted or whatever. But it was adorable,” Feldman reminisced.
Barrymore and Feldman both struggled with addiction
The two were really fond of one another. As Barrymore explained: “We were so positive. You and I were such good friends. We had that kind of relationship where they say, ‘Date your friend.’ We were the embodiment of that. You were so kind, you were such a safe place for me.”
Both Barrymore and Feldman have troubled pasts riddled with drug and alcohol addiction. While recalling their young relationship, Barrymore mentioned, “We partied, we didn’t party,” to which Feldman responded, “We got sober together, we got un-sober together…” Their relationship didn’t last, and they both went on to see other people.
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As for Feldman, he believed that Barrymore was “already getting [her] life together,” while he was “still going through [his] troubles.” Perhaps that was why the pair never worked out. “You got sober first; you got your act together first. It took me a few years after you,” Feldman confessed.