11 Meta Films Starring Actors Playing Extreme Versions Of Themselves

6. My Date With Drew

Admittedly, My Date With Drew is not technically fictional. Nor is it technically a biopic. Maybe it shouldn't be anywhere near this list! It's been included simply because it's such an interesting take on films that study the star identity of a major actor. It's basically a meta-documentary about one man's quest to meet a girl he fell in love with based on her cinematic characters. Brian Herzlinger sets out a journey to meet and hang out with Drew Barrymore. That's effectively the whole premise of the film. But what is intriguing is its study of obsession with celebrities, as well as the genuinely touching "performance" from Barrymore in the film. The audience is never really sure how much is a performance and how much she is being sincere. It actually arguably makes it something more complex and critical than some of the other more self-conscious self-portrayals in this film. Is she just being nice to keep the obsessed fan happy (or to prevent him from killing her like the nerdy psychopath that he clearly is)? Does she feel genuinely touched by his enthusiasm? Or does she simply feel the need to act a certain way whenever the camera is around? These questions take the film from being a silly little indie documentary to becoming something much more nuanced.