Ever After: Why Drew Barrymore Begged Anjelica Huston To Join The Cast

Long before Disney's live-action remakes dominated the box office, "Ever After" brought the fairytale of Cinderella to the big screen, putting a historical fiction spin on the classic tale. Despite not being a producer on the movie, star Drew Barrymore knew they had to get "The Addams Family" star Anjelica Huston on board as the villainous stepmother, resorting to any means necessary to make the casting happen.

"I was in my kitchen, and we were talking about who could play this very infamous role," Barrymore said during the "Ever After" reunion on "The Drew Barrymore Show," revealing that she took matters into her own hands to secure Huston for the role. "I got her on the phone somehow, and I said, 'You know what, for your father, John Huston, and my grandfather, John Barrymore, who you know partied here on Earth and are somewhere up in heaven keeping it going. Barrymore, Huston! Huston, Barrymore! We've gotta do this!'"

Barrymore sold Huston on "Ever After" by saying that starring alongside one another would honor the Hollywood men who came before them, paving the way for them to become stars of their own. She isn't ashamed of saying she begged Huston to join the cast, as it worked out in the end, and the rest is history.

Drew Barrymore begging Anjelica Huston to star in "Ever After" paid off in more ways than one. Not only did it get a tenured Hollywood star attached to the Cinderella story, but Huston provided the veteran advice that young actresses like Barrymore, Melanie Lynskey, and Megan Dodds needed for their blossoming careers.

"Anjelica, really, was so giving and gracious and just taught me so much and was so loving," Lynskey reminisced to her "Ever After" co-stars during the reunion on "The Drew Barrymore Show." Dodd had a similar story, saying that without Huston, she wouldn't have been ready for Hollywood, despite having a successful career in theater. "This was my first film. I had only really done theater projects up to this point," Dodd said. "So, I think Anjelica deserves a ton of credit for really kind of taking me under her wing and saying, you know, 'stick with me, kid, we got this' kind of thing."

While Huston's leadership guided them on set, the "Ever After" trio reminisced on their fond memories with her while filming in France. Huston would throw dinner parties, with her French chef cooking exquisite meals for the cast. During their reunion, Dodd told a story of Huston quickly devouring a goose liver while everyone else struggled to get it down. While the event now serves as a funny memory, the three actresses definitely had more fun partying in the streets of France while filming "Ever After" than eating the unique French cuisine at Huston's dinners.