Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore, who rocketed to child stardom as Gertie in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” the 1982 box-office smash, visited Richmond last week.
In town for a little antique shopping, Barrymore, wearing green tie-dyed leggings with a military-style hat and jacket, stopped at Halcyon Vintage Clothing on Robinson Street in the midmorning of Oct. 22, and then at Bygones, an antique clothing store in Carytown.
Currently living in New York, Barrymore, who also appeared in the sexy “Charlie's Angels” remake in 2000 alongside Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, was particularly taken with two overcoats, turn-of-the-century ostrich feathers and large 1980s-style sunglasses at Halcyon.
“She was so cool, cute as a button, perky and friendly and out to shop,” says Connie Carroll, the shop's owner. A tall, lean male companion of Barrymore's, with spiky, sandy blonde hair, at one point draped himself in a black crochet shawl and started flitting about the shop, Carroll says, like “Icarus.”
Over at Bygones, Barrymore, who played the unhappy-bride-to-be in the “Wedding Singer” with comedian co-star Adam Sandler, picked up some lace curtains, several pairs of gloves and Devo-style sunglasses, says Carrie Webb, who works at the store. “She commented that [the glasses] made her look like a lunatic,” says Webb, which in this case was OK. Her entourage, which including three other people, included one lanky man with an emo-peacock style haircut, says Webb. The group appeared to be very environmentally aware. “She didn't want to take a bag or anything. She had one bag and kept putting things in it,” Webb says, adding that Barrymore was carrying a cup she was using for Theraflu, because she was sick.
After shopping in Bygones for about an hour, the renowned former child actress, who also appeared in “Poison Ivy” and “Boys on the Side,” asked for suggestions about where to eat. Webb recommended Mezzanine.
