Original ‘Firestarter’ Star Drew Barrymore Slams Razzies For Nominating 12-Year-Old Reboot Actor: ‘It’s Bullying’ And ‘Makes My Blood Boil’

CMF TeamJanuary 27, 2023

Original “Firestarter” actor Drew Barrymore criticized the Razzie Awards after they nominated the 12-year-old star of last year’s “Firestarter” reboot. Child actor Ryan Kiera Armstrong was originally among the “worst actress” nominees, a decision that drew backlash against the Razzies. The awards ceremony eventually withdrew the nomination and issued an apology.

“I don’t like it,” Barrymore told “CBS Mornings” about the Razzie Awards controversy. “She’s younger and it’s bullying. We want to be cautious about how we talk to or about people because she encourages other people to join that bandwagon. I’m glad to see that people didn’t jump on the wave of ‘let’s make fun of her’ and instead said: ‘This is not right’”.

Barrymore added: “You have to have a sense of humor, but when you’re talking about children, all bets are off. I do not like it.

The original “Firestarter” film, released in 1984 and based on the Stephen King novel, starred Barrymore as Charlie McGee, a young woman who develops pyrokinesis. Ryan Kiera Armstrong played the role in the 2022 remake, which also starred Zac Efron. Barrymore went on to criticize the Razzie Awards on her self-titled talk show.

“Well, this makes my blood boil,” Barrymore said (via The Independent). “Listen, I’m making fun of ourselves, I mean, come on, fair play, go ahead, but Ryan is 12 and Razzie co-founder John Wilson apologized and removed her from the category and said they’re implementing a new rule that excludes anyone 18 years of age or younger.”

“I would just tell them, ‘Please don’t do this to people who are younger. That’s not nice,’” Barrymore added. “And I really like Ryan…don’t ever do this again.”

John Wilson, founder of the Razzie Awards, finally issued a statement calling criticism of Armstrong’s nomination “valid” and confirming that his name had been removed from the ballot. He added: “We also believe that a public apology is owed to Ms. Armstrong, and we wish to say that we are sorry for any harm she has experienced as a result of our elections.”

“Having learned from this lesson, we would also like to announce that, from now on, we are adopting a Voting Guideline that prevents any artist or filmmaker under the age of 18 from being considered for our awards,” Wilson also announced.

“It’s bullying”: @Drew Barrymore reacts to the Razzies’ nomination for a 12-year-old girl for worst actress in “Firestarter,” a movie Barrymore once starred in as a child.

After backlash from the internet, the Razzies apologized, saying that actors under the age of 18 would no longer be considered. pic.twitter.com/pQDR9ntsl7

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) January 26, 2023

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