Ouch, Drew Barrymore Reveals The Lingering Injury She Still Has From Filming Fever Pitch Over 20 Years Ago

by

When considering Drew Barrymore, it’s likely that people associate her with her memorable roles in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” or various romantic comedies. Unlike Tom Cruise, her name doesn’t immediately bring to mind performing her own stunts. However, even after more than 20 years, Barrymore is still recovering from an injury sustained during the filming of “Fever Pitch.

In the 2005 film, during a baseball game sequence, it was Drew Barrymore herself who performed the stunt on screen rather than a stand-in, as is often done. Consequently, Barrymore admitted to Entertainment Weekly that she’s still dealing with the aftermath of that daring move.

In one part of the movie, you can witness me climbing up the famous Green Monster wall, but unfortunately, I slip and take quite a hard tumble onto my back. You’ll see me react with genuine pain and fear – yes, that was all authentic. To make things worse, I had to continue running after the fall, and my back has been bothering me ever since – much like when something happened in Fever Pitch.

If you’re not acquainted with the lesser-known romantic comedy “Fever Pitch”, it centers around a character named Ben (Jimmy Fallon), who is fanatically devoted to the Boston Red Sox and happens to be a teacher as well. During baseball’s off-season, he encounters executive Lindsey (Barrymore) and they develop an ideal relationship. However, things become complicated when baseball season resumes, causing Ben to prioritize his team over his relationship.

In this scenario, Lindsey’s decision to end things with Ben arises due to issues between them. Desperate to demonstrate his sincerity towards her, Ben chooses to part with his season tickets. However, when Lindsey learns about it, she feels remorseful. Eager to prevent him from making a regrettable move, she purchases outfield tickets and dashes onto the field before sprinting to Ben to halt the sale. This scene is a heart-fluttering moment in the film and one of the rare instances where we witness a man executing an extravagant romantic gesture.

Showing true professionalism, Barrymore endured the pain to complete the scene, however, it might have been wiser to employ a stunt double in retrospect. Fortunately, Barrymore looks back fondly on the movie experience, cherishing the opportunity to collaborate with the Farrelly brothers – one of her preferred directors – while working on the sports-themed romantic comedy.

Besides recounting the theory that her recurring back pain might be linked to the movie, Drew Barrymore additionally spoke about her conviction that Lindsey and Ben are still a couple, enjoying Red Sox games together, and living life to the fullest. Furthermore, Barrymore disclosed her most cherished aspect of filming Fever Pitch, which surprisingly wasn’t the on-screen romance.

Rather than expressing her Emmy-nominated talk show accolades, the host shared that her greatest joy was witnessing Fallon’s growing affection for Barrymore’s cherished companion, Nancy Juoven. Since 1995, Juoven has been both a producing partner and co-founder with Barrymore in their production company. Their first encounter took place when Barrymore hosted Saturday Night Live and brought Juoven along. However, it wasn’t until the film Fever Pitch that a romantic relationship began to flourish between them.

Considering their long-standing partnership and the outstanding rapport between Barrymore and Fallon, it seems fitting that they should team up for another film. With Fever Pitch celebrating its 20th anniversary, perhaps it’s an ideal moment to brainstorm possible sequels. I’d definitely be excited to see what comes next!

Read More

2025-04-11 16:07