Drew Barrymore has been acting since childhood, and one of her iconic roles was in the 1999 film, Never Been Kissed.

In it, she plays the role of Josie Geller, a newspaper copy editor who goes back to high school to complete a story in the hopes of furthering her career.

She ends up falling in love with an English teacher. It’s been 25 years since she played the part, and the actress reflected on it during a recent episode of her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show.

“I would get these calls from the studio, and they were like, ‘I’m sorry, but you’re just looking too unattractive,'” she recalled. The conversations that Barrymore had with executives were unpleasant, but she had wanted her character to be awkward. However, she was pressured into going in a different direction.

Why Was There So Much Pressure On Drew Barrymore To Make ‘Never Been Kissed’ A Success?

Those who have watched Drew Barrymore’s performance in Never Been Kissed will acknowledge that her character is quirky but cute. She initially wanted her to be even more awkward, but the higher-ups got their way. “I was forced to even tone it down a little bit,” she recalled. However, the actress acknowledges how executives made a good point. “And then they said something that appealed to my sensibilities rather than my ego. They were like, ‘We don’t want you to lose the heart ’cause you’re going so far for the comedy.'”

What many fans may not have realized is this movie was also produced by Barrymore’s Flower Films, and it was the production company’s first film. This was a big deal and added even more pressure on Barrymore’s performance as the lead character. “I was very stressed,” she confessed. “I was so scared during the whole film ’cause I knew if it didn’t work we weren’t gonna get another chance,” she said of whether her production company would be in business if the movie had been a flop.

“I had a clenched stomach the whole time,” she recalled. Barrymore also claimed the Hollywood executives at the time had doubts that actors could be producers. “A lot of it wasn’t really working,” she said of the shift in careers for many stars at the time.

A clip of Drew Barrymore speaking to her guests Hey Dude the 90s Called podcast hosts Christine Taylor and David Lascher was shared on the official The Drew Barrymore Show Instagram page. Fans were thrilled to hear about the iconic film and how the actress felt about the role. The comments on the post reflect this, with one fan writing, “This was really really awesome to watch. Wonderful insight. @drewbarrymore is America’s sweetheart, but also SUCH a professional. Pure authenticity.”

Other fans reminisced about the ’90s classic. “You were Hilarious in that movie, Drew, and so sweet too; the Pie scenes and fork were so good,” one comment reads. “Never Been Kissed is one of my top films! You knocked it out of the park!” another fan shared. “I’m trying to get my teen daughter to sit down and watch with me, I think she would love it!” Another fan referenced Barrymore’s character, writing, “You’re not Josie Grossie anymore!”