Biography
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Born
4 June 1932
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Died
29 November 2004 (aged 72)
John Drew Barrymore (June 4, 1932 – November 29, 2004), born John Blyth Barrymore, Jr., was a member of the Barrymore family of actors, which included his father, John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel and Ethel. He was the father of four children, including John Blyth Barrymore and Drew Barrymore.
Barrymore was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother was actress Dolores Costello, who was of Irish descent. His parents divorced when he was around three years old in 1935, but he claimed to have met his father only once. John and his cousin, Dirk Drew Davenport, enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. Owing to their physical appearance, the military did not discover until several weeks later that the boys were under age. He ran away at age 17 and signed a film contract, but he repeatedly abandoned leading roles and had no major film career.
In 1958, he changed his name to John Drew Barrymore and had a brief resurgence in Italian movies, appearing in several leading roles. However, his social behavior obstructed any professional progress. In the 1960s, he was occasionally incarcerated for drug use, public drunkenness, and spousal abuse.
In 1966, Barrymore accepted a major guest role as Lazarus in NBC's Star Trek episode "The Alternative Factor." He failed to show up (and was ultimately replaced at the last minute by actor Robert Brown), resulting in SAG suspending Barrymore for six months. He did appear as Stacey Daggart in the 1966-1967 NBC series The Road West, starring Barry Sullivan.
Although he continued to appear occasionally on screen, he became more and more reclusive. Suffering from the same problems that had destroyed his father, John Drew became a derelict. Estranged from his family, including his children, his lifestyle continued to worsen and his physical and mental health deteriorated. In 2003, his daughter, Drew Barrymore, moved him near her home despite their estrangement, paying his medical bills until his death from cancer. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to television.
He married four times, each marriage producing one child, and all four marriages ending in divorce:
1. Cara Williams: married 1952, divorced 1959; son John Blyth Barrymore
2. Gabriella Palazzoli: married October 11, 1960, divorced 19??; daughter Blyth Dolores Barrymore
3. Ildiko Jaid Mako: married 1981, divorced 1984; daughter Drew Barrymore born February 22, 1975.
4. Nina Wayne: married 19??, divorced 19??; daughter Brahma (Jessica) Blyth Barrymore
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