Catherine Zeta-Jones is sharing the sweet way that Drew Barrymore made a positive contribution to her life years ago.
During her appearance in the season 6 premiere of The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday, the Wednesday actress revealed that she kept an “uplifting” voicemail that Barrymore sent her for years and would listen to it whenever she felt sad.
“I’ve never shared this with anybody — and just going back to your younger days — I think you were unaware of what goodness you exuded,” Zeta-Jones told Barrymore. “And such kindness.”
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The anecdote came up as part of a larger conversation Barrymore was having with her audience that day about turning over a new page after turning 50 earlier this year. However, Zeta-Jones insisted that Barrymore not forget the kindness that she gave others in her younger years, either.
“I have a story that I’m going to share,” Zeta-Jones said. “You were producing a lot. You called me up about a project but you left me the most glorious, uplifting, positive, woman-to-woman message that I kept for years and would play when I felt a little gloomy.”
Barrymore appeared shocked by the revelation. “You empowered me with a feeling of, it wasn’t just, ‘Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby,’” Zeta-Jones continued. “It was just… a beautiful, like you were talking to me as a friend and it was very long.”
To which Barrymore conceded, “I’m a long-winded bag.”
Still, it left a lasting impression on Zeta-Jones. “This may be a wonderful transition into this next chapter, but never, ever falter on what you’ve given to others in your past,” she said.
The flattered Barrymore revealed she “didn’t know” that Zeta-Jones kept her message or that it had such a profound effect on her.
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“I mean it,” Zeta-Jones insisted. “It was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful message, and it was just unexpectedly glorious from woman to woman because, as you know, women can be a little mean to each other.”
Something that Barrymore also acknowledged. “And we’re out to break all those stereotypes,” the host said, to which Zeta-Jones responded, “We have to protect each other.”
Barrymore opened up about turning 50 on the show, as well as in an essay penned for Us Weekly earlier this year.
“I feel settled in a way I never did before, but I also feel excited,” the actress wrote of the milestone. “I’m not winding down — I’m winding up. I still want to dream big. I still want to throw myself into love and work and creativity. I still want to do ridiculous things like go to bed at 9 p.m. and wake up at 5 a.m. just to drink my morning iced tea in peace. I want all of it.”
Watch Zeta-Jones press play on her story about Barrymore’s voicemail in the clip above.
