Recommended Free Tools
Drew Barrymore is the daughter of actor John Drew Barrymore and the granddaughter of actor John Barrymore. John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore—the celebrated siblings at the center of the dynasty—were children of actor Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew, linking the Barrymore name to an older theatrical family. Their careers crossed generations and media, from the stage to film, radio, and television.
How Drew Barrymore fits into the family
The simplest way to place Drew is through her father and grandfather: actor John Drew Barrymore was her father, and John Barrymore was her paternal grandfather. Her mother is actor Ildiko Jaid Barrymore. Drew’s grandmother was actor Dolores Costello, and her great-grandparents were Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Wildflower | $11.10 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Drew Barrymore Biography: Portrait of a life of women with wildflowers | $13.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Find It in Everything: Photographs by Drew Barrymore | $14.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Little Girl Lost | $68.95 | Buy on Amazon |
Biographies sometimes call John Drew Barrymore “John Barrymore Jr.” The name can be confusing: John Drew Barrymore was Drew’s father; John Barrymore was her grandfather. For a concise account of Drew’s family and career, see Biography.com’s Drew Barrymore biography.
The Barrymore siblings who built the dynasty’s reputation
Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew had three children who became prominent actors: Lionel, Ethel, and John Barrymore. They were siblings, not separate stars who happened to share a surname. Georgiana’s parentage also connects them to the Drew theatrical family.
#1 Best Overall
John Barrymore (1882–1942)
Known for his Shakespearean stage work as well as his film roles, John Barrymore became one of the best-known actors of his era. Representative films include Grand Hotel (1932), Twentieth Century (1934), and Midnight (1939). His descendants include actor Diana Barrymore and actor John Drew Barrymore.
Lionel Barrymore (1878–1954)
Lionel Barrymore worked as an actor and artist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for A Free Soul (1931); later audiences often recognize him as Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959)
Ethel Barrymore sustained a career across theatre, silent and sound films, and television. The Ethel Barrymore Theatre opened in New York in 1928, a public marker of her standing in American theatre. A 1959 Congressional Record obituary reproduces her reflection: “I never really wanted to be an actress. I always hoped to be a pianist. But I had to eat, and acting seemed like the natural thing to do, since the family was already in it.”
The Drew family came before the Barrymore name
The family’s stage tradition did not begin with the famous Barrymore siblings. Georgiana Drew was the daughter of actors John Drew and Louisa Lane Drew. She married Maurice Barrymore, born Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blyth, who adopted “Barrymore” as his stage name. Their marriage joined the Drew theatrical line to the family name that became famous through their children.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #3
That distinction matters: “Barrymore” became the celebrated acting name, but the lineage behind it includes the earlier Drew family and its theatre tradition. Encyclopedia.com’s account of John Drew provides additional context on that theatrical branch.
Notable descendants beyond Drew
John Drew Barrymore (1932–2004)
John Drew Barrymore, son of John Barrymore, was an actor and continued the family’s acting lineage. He was Drew Barrymore’s father.
Rank #4
Diana Barrymore (1921–1960)
Diana Barrymore was an actor and daughter of John Barrymore. She belongs in an account of the family’s notable descendants even though she is not in Drew’s direct line through her father.
Drew Barrymore (born 1975)
Drew Barrymore became the family’s most familiar contemporary member for many viewers through her work as an actor, producer, director, and talk-show host. She made her film debut at age five in Altered States (1980), then became widely known as a child actor in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Her career extends the family’s public presence into contemporary film and television.
Best Value
A compact family tree
- John Drew and Louisa Lane Drew: actors and parents of Georgiana Drew.
- Georgiana Drew and Maurice Barrymore: Georgiana was from the Drew theatrical family; Maurice, born Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blyth, adopted the Barrymore stage name.
- Their children: Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, and John Barrymore—siblings and actors.
- John Barrymore’s descendants noted here: Diana Barrymore and John Drew Barrymore.
- John Drew Barrymore’s daughter: Drew Barrymore, whose mother is actor Ildiko Jaid Barrymore.
Why the family’s fame is hard to reduce to one ranking
The relatives are remembered for different kinds of work rather than for a single measurable hierarchy. John Barrymore is strongly associated with Shakespeare and leading screen roles; Lionel Barrymore combined acting and art and became a memorable character actor; Ethel Barrymore’s career ranged across stage, film, and television. Drew’s public career spans acting, producing, directing, and hosting. There is no objective ranking that establishes which relative was “most famous.”
Further reading
For a longer account of the family, Margot Peters’s biography The House of Barrymore is discussed in a Washington Post review and by Vanity Fair.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
