The Generation X update from a Hollywood acting family renown for both its immense talent and incessant hard living, Drew Barrymore's early career seemed destined for a quick burst of brilliance ensuing in tragic burnout: A Neil Young song personified. Her film acting debut in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster E.T. was followed by a rough childhood of alcoholism, drug addiction and some pretty bad movies.

In the past few years, however, she seems to have turned things around, making better personal and professional choices, if getting a few too many tattoos. Newly disciplined, the now 22-year old actress cleaned up her act and worked on her art. She kicked booze and dope, but kept her overt sexual aura by posing for Playboy and notoriously flashing her breasts at David Letterman on his birthday while dancing on his desk.

1996 was a very good year for Drew Barrymore. She was featured in two high profile movies: Wes Craven's surprise smash Scream, which is now inching it's way towards becoming the most profitable horror movie of all time; and Woody Allen's disappointing but star-studded romantic musical comedy Everyone Says I Love You. She seems to have shaken off the dark side of her Hollywood heritage and is now poised to write a new chapter in the thick book chronicling the exploits of the Barrymore family.

But Drew, we gotta ask: What's with the hair?

She laughs. "First, it was just for me and I wanted to wear it in my next movie. But I was told it was awful, so I wore this great Sandra Dee wig with the bangs and a little flip, just like in Scream. Then for the film I did after that, Independence, I wore this hair. It's important for me to change for each role - dramatically."

There were rumors floating around that she was going to be cast as Sandra Dee in a biography of the actress's tumultuous life. Was the wig a sly comment on that?

"That's a total rumor thing. But that's not to say that I wouldn't like to do it. They're saying Johnny Depp will be playing Bobby Darin. I'd give anything to work with him. He brings so much soul to every character he plays."

This gushing, knee-jerk public relations response shows that Barrymore has been learning the Hollywood game very well. So we ask the gushing, knee-jerk public relations question: When you look back over the films you've done, which ones stand out as the best?

Barrymore gives a little smirk, more self-effacing than snide, and says "Oh, I don't know about good performances. I'm my own worst critic. I can't imagine saying 'I was really hot in that movie!' The best experiences for me were Gun Crazy and Boys on the Side, and now, of course, Scream and Everyone Says I Love You. I'm so fortunate. These last few months were so much fun. It's great to wake up and look forward to going to work instead of fucking dreading it."

How was it working with Woody Allen?

"Are you kidding me? I was so nervous. I was so excited that he called me in the first place, that he had an open mind to ask me to audition. God, Woody Allen knows I'm alive! He's my hero."

In Allen's musical comedy you were the only cast member who didn't do their own singing. How come?

Barrymore repeats her cute smirk. "My voice didn't match with Skylar's [her character in the film], although I do change my voice often for films. That's one of the best things about acting – we get to be chameleons. I think you should change your hair, your makeup, your clothes all the time. It's so lame when actors look the same in every movie. That's why I love Jennifer Jason Leigh so much. She utterly changes herself in every movie."

Despite the picture's weaknesses, Barrymore gives a dead-on performance in Everyone Says I Love You, in a role that doesn't seem very close to who she really is. How did she go about pulling this person out from inside her? Could she identify with Skylar at all?

"Sure. We have some similarities. We're dreamers, philanthropists….we believe in the good people. But she's also very graceful and collegiate and coordinated with a very interesting fashion sense. I'm not any of those things."

It must have been great working with such a distinguished cast.

"Everyone was so kind and gracious on this film. Between Tim Roth and Ed Norton [the two characters vying romantically for her character], I wouldn't know who to choose, they're both so amazing. Those guys are both deep and so funny. The way to my heart is to make me laugh. I've worked with assholes before and it's no fun, but I won't name any names. Usually the most talented and extraordinary people also tend to be the most generous."

Just when it starts to get juicy, she backs off! C'mon Drew! Name an asshole! Just one!

She laughs and shakes her head. "No! It's just not worth it. Besides, people can change. You can always hope that they'll change."

She's certainly changed, successfully making the transition from child star to adult actress when most everybody had written her off as another L.A. casualty. What does she think about poor Macaulay Culkin's situation?

"I think people should stop judging him. I feel so sorry for him! All the evilness stems from judgment. Everyone has their opinions…We're all individuals and opinions are fascinating – they're what makes us who we are – but I don't like that people are judging him who don't know the situation. They should just fuck off and mind their own business. Very few people can even begin to understand what he's going through."

This is the most passionate Barrymore has been since we sat down, and the for first time the gentle, enthusiastic pleasantness has dimmed in her demeanor. One word cropped up repeatedly in her last response, and it's obviously a hot button for her. She evidently felt she was being judged when she was going through all her own problems with drinking and drugs?

Now she's borderline pissed. "Absolutely! It wasn't fair at all! It hurts and it doesn't make it easier to change things. In his case, people have to realize that when that poor kid is at home and people are saying those terrible things about him and his family, it hurts him a lot."

Barrymore ended up taking a different approach and finally stood up for herself, confronting the media's questions and facing up to the tough answers. It won her a lot of respect, but it couldn't have been easy.

Boom. She turns it off. She's nice again. "It was so scary to put myself out there and be so vulnerable for people, especially for the people who just want a nasty story and don't care about you at all. But the truth is, with me you always know what you're getting. I imagine it takes a lot more energy to hide and not be yourself."

Scream has been such a popular hit, and Barrymore's work in it as a terrified victim is quite good, but the role must have been exhausting. How was it working day after day Scream-ing?

"Scream was an incredibly challenging role for me – the sheet terror and horror and all the crying. It took so many takes and angles. For weeks I was running around with blood on me just crying all the time! I won't have PMS for five years because of that movie – which is great, by the way – but it was very cathartic in the end. I would have never done the job if not for Wes Craven. Wes is the most amazing director. He's really talented, and it's too bad he's kind of been typecast as a horror movie director."

They're talking about a sequel….

"I can't be in it. I died," she says, laughing. Right. But what about a sequel to E.T.? They were talking about it once.

"It won't happen. Steven Spielberg finally killed that one. We talked about it for a long time, and there was actually a time when it almost happened, but it's past now. We were going to go to E.T.'s planet or something like that. I'm glad it didn't happen. Some sequels are great and can be pulled off, but I think usually they devalue the original."

But that's Hollywood. It's all about money.

And finally the P.R. veil comes off. "Hollywood is so shallow and mean, and I have as little to do with it as possible. So many actors are just in it for the money and the glitz and the stardom – I just don't get it. I'm not in it for that. I'm in it to be a good employee. It's a job that lets me be creative and fulfilled and it also allows me to do important things as far as the world is concerned… making a difference with people and being a philanthropist, being an advocate of good causes."

Aren't there other Hollywood people like that?

"Those aren't the real Hollywood people. I don't see myself as some Hollywood person. I have nothing to do with Hollywood. I don't go out there and party or anything like that. I only have a place there because that's were my office is. It has a bed in it. No TV, no phone and no clock."

So where does she live?

"I don't live anywhere. I travel mostly, but I think I'll be living in Texas soon. Fredericksburg, Texas: It's this beautiful little town. I want to be far away from all the bullshit, and Texas reminds us that we're little. I like being so close to nature there. I'd rather be in a place like that than watching some dick on his mobile phone thinking he rules the world. That definitely puts me in a bad mood."

Her personal PR flack is making the rounds to close up shop, so we tell Barrymore we don't want to leave her thinking about what puts her in a bad mood. What puts her in a good mood?

She gives a big smile. "Thank you! Being an advocate of good causes puts me in a good mood. I want to go out there and talk about politics and animal rights and sexual issues. That's what fulfills me at the end of the day. It's a great gift for me."