Barrymore, Jaid 1946-

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BARRYMORE, Jaid 1946-

PERSONAL: Born Ildyko Jaid Mako, May 8, 1946, in Brannenburg, Germany (some sources say Berlin, Germany); immigrated to United States, c. 1950; daughter of an artist and a concert violinist; married John Barrymore, Jr. (an actor), c. 1973 (separated, 1975); children: Drew Blythe.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, General Publishing Group, Inc., 2701 Ocean Park Boulevard, Suite 140, Santa Monica, CA 90405.

CAREER: Actress in films, including Night Shift, Warner Bros., 1982; Irreconcilable Differences, Warner Bros., 1984; Me, Myself, and I, 1992; Guncrazy, First Look Pictures Releasing, 1992; Doppelganger, 1993; Inevitable Grace, 1994; Silent Prey, 1997; Enchanted, Artist View Entertainment, 1998; The Last Days of Disco, Gramercy Pictures, 1998; The Stand-In, 1999; Glam-Trash, 2000; He Outta Be Committed, 2000; Directing Eddie, 2001; The Wedding, 2001; Big Apple, 2001; and Funny Valentine, 2002. Actress in stage productions, including Grandma Sylvia's Funeral, off-Broadway, c. 1996; Dressing Room, SoHo Playhouse, New York, NY, 2000; and Playing for Time. Provided voices for animated series Eek! The Cat (also known as Eek! and the Terrible Thunderlizards and Eek!stravaganza), 1992.

WRITINGS:

Secrets of World-Class Lovers: Erotic Tips and SensualStories for a Lifetime of Sexual Fulfillment, General Publishing Group (Los Angeles, CA), 1995.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Confidential, an autobiography.

SIDELIGHTS: Jaid Barrymore, former wife of actor John Barrymore, Jr. and mother of actress Drew Barrymore, is an accomplished actress in her own right. She is also the author of Secrets of World-Class Lovers: Erotic Tips and Sensual Stories for a Lifetime of Sexual Fulfillment. Barrymore has not been shy in discussing her sexual encounters with other stars, including actor Kiefer Sutherland and singer/songwriters Jim Morrison, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor; supposedly details of these affairs will be forthcoming in her new book, Confidential.

Barrymore was born Ildiko Jaid Mako in Germany shortly after World War II. Her parents, an artist and a concert violinist, were refugees from Hungary, and when Barrymore was four they moved to Pennsylvania to start a new life. Even as a child Barrymore dreamed of being an actress, and as a young woman she moved to Los Angeles and became a waitress. While working at a club called the Troubadour on the Sunset Strip she met John Barrymore, Jr., son of actor John Barrymore and nephew of stars Lionel and Ethel Barrymore. The two wed a few years later, although the marriage was short-lived. They separated shortly before their daughter, Drew, was born in 1975. Barrymore spent much of Drew's childhood acting as her agent; Drew appeared in her first commercial when she was an infant and became a star in 1982 from her role in the film E.T.

Barrymore and her daughter became estranged when Drew was a teenager, but eventually reconciled. Barrymore's two books reflect her desire to renew her relationship with her daughter. She dedicated Secrets of World-Class Lovers to Drew at a time when the two had not spoken for several years, which led to them having a relationship for a short time. This reconciliation was brief; mother and daughter remained estranged for another five years while Barrymore completed the manuscript of Confidential. Barrymore hoped that, by telling her life story in the book, she might be able to make her daughter understand why she did the things that she did. The two reconciled once again, and when Drew married actor Tom Green in July of 2001, her mother gave her away.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

books

Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television, Volume 33, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2001.

periodicals

Back Stage, April 21, 2000, David A. Rosenberg, review of Dressing Room, p. 64.

Entertainment Weekly, October 4, 1996, Dana Kennedy, "In the Net of the Night," pp. 67-68.

News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland), May 24, 2000, "Showbiz Gossip," p. 18.

People, May 29, 2000, David Cobb Craig, "Passages," p. 99.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), December 23, 2000, "Drew Barrymore's Mom Says They've Reconciled," p. 4B.

Sunday Mail (Adelaide, South Australia, Australia), June 18, 2000, "Drew's Mum in Kiss and Tell," p. 142.

Time, November 29, 1999, Michele Orecklin, "People," p. 123.

US Weekly, June 5, 2000, Sarah Saffian, "Pistol-Packin' Mama: With a Recent Gun Bust and a Scandalous Memoir, Drew Barrymore's 53-Year-Old Mother, Jaid, Remains the Family Wild Child," pp. 60-63.