10 Incredible Against-All-Odds Hollywood Comebacks

10. Drew Barrymore

Barrymore's breakout role came in Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terestrial when she was just seven years old. Coming from a showbiz family, it was always expected that Drew would become a successful actress like her father John Barrymore. The Downfall: Unfortunately, like so many child stars, Barrymore encountered drugs and alcohol at a young age. Barrymore was reportedly smoking cigarettes at the age of nine and drinking alcohol by age eleven at the famed Studio 54 nightclub. By twelve she was smoking marijuana and by age thirteen she was snorting cocaine. In rehab by fourteen, it appeared that Barrymore's career was over before it even had a chance to get properly started. She penned an emotional autobiography detailing her struggles with substance abuse when she was just fifteen years old. Her wild child behaviour continued into the 1990s and she bared all in a series of racy magazine spreads. What Brought Her Back: Slowly but surely, Barrymore began to rebuild her professional reputation. For many, the turning point was her effective cameo in Scream. After Scream, Barrymore began to forge a reputation for herself as a lead in romantic comedies like Never Been Kissed and The Wedding Singer. Did It Last?: Yes. Barrymore continues to be a bankable box-office star and it appears that there is no shortage of work for her. She is one of the few child stars that have successfully transitioned into adult roles despite it looking like she would end up a tragedy.