Drew Barrymore Just Got Emotional Over This Birthday Surprise
Emily Carr
Published Feb 22, 2026
On Feb. 22, beloved actor and talk show host Drew Barrymore celebrated her 46th birthday. Barrymore was showered with love on a special birthday edition of The Drew Barrymore Show. A handful of stars surprised Barrymore via video call to wish her a "happy birthday," but one celebrity went the extra mile and shocked her by walking out on stage after a Zoom call prank. To see which star's appearance made Barrymore cry, read on, and for more news on the quirky TV host, This Is What Drew Barrymore Really Thinks of the SNL Parody of Her Show.
David Letterman surprised Barrymore on her show for her birthday.
A clip shared on Feb. 19 gave a sneak peek into Barrymore's big birthday episode. The clip revealed that late-night TV host David Letterman pulled an ambitious prank on Barrymore. Letterman pretended to video call in to wish Barrymore a "happy birthday," but then feigned technical difficulties. Pretending to be frustrated, Letterman then got out of his chair and stormed away from the camera.
Guest co-host for the day, Savannah Guthrie, distracted Barrymore by remarking on how sweet it was for Letterman to try to video call. As the two continued to chat, carrying on with the show, Letterman walked out from behind the stage. Barrymore was frozen in a state of shock and then began to cry. "I'm so grateful that you came here," she said through tears of joy. Letterman informed Barrymore that the Zoom prank was his idea so he could surprise her. And to find out what Barrymore is like behind-the-scenes, A Celebrity Stylist Is Rating Stars Based on How Rude They Are.
On Letterman's birthday in 1995, Barrymore famously flashed him.
This isn't the first birthday the pair has shared together. In 1995, when Barrymore was 20 years old, she made an appearance on The Late Show for Letterman's birthday. The interview went down in history after Barrymore flashed Letterman in the middle of it. After talking about a nude art dance show that she had participated in on her own birthday, she offered to dance for Letterman. Barrymore climbed on top of Letterman's desk and danced to some jazz music before quickly flashing him. She then gave a stunned Letterman a kiss on the cheek and returned to her chair.
Barrymore returned to The Late Show in 2018 to chat with the show's new host Stephen Colbert. Reflected on the experience, she said, "I sometimes think, 'That doesn't feel like me.' It's like a distant memory that doesn't seem like me—but it is me. And that's kind of cool." Letterman and Barrymore have maintained a friendship over the years, and she returned to do his show multiple times. And for guests who made a much worse impression, This Was the Worst Guest The View Ever Had, Former Host Says.
Steven Spielberg also made Barrymore emotional.
While Letterman was the only star to surprise Barrymore on set, plenty of her famous friends celebrated her from afar. Old co-stars and friends Cameron Diaz and Jimmy Fallon video chatted with the morning show host, as well as her pal Gwyneth Paltrow.
During Barrymore's conversation with Steven Spielberg, who directed her in her breakout role in E.T at the age of seven, she got emotional. "He's the first person that cared about me," Barrymore said. And for more fun celebrity content delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Barrymore didn't always love her birthday.
Although Barrymore appears overjoyed with her 2021 birthday celebration, she hasn't always been a fan of celebrating the holiday. During her 1995 Letterman interview, Barrymore declared that she had hated her birthdays most of her life.
"A celebratory day, a day all about you, it makes me kind of nauseous," she told Letterman. Barrymore said all the birthday wishes used to make her cringe, but that changed on her 20th birthday, which she said was the first birthday she really enjoyed. And for more of the all-time greatest icons, This Was the Most Popular Teen Idol the Year You Graduated.
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