legacy

Even the stars may fangirl when they meet their idols. Drew Barrymore proved this when she was treated to a surprise reunion among the Facts of Life cast just in time for her 49th birthday. Thursday's episode shows not only Barrymore celebrating her birthday but also the impact the Facts of Life cast had on her whole career. A spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life followed Edna Garrett guiding the girls at Eastland School through life's many hectic and sometimes hurtful hurdles. Running from 1979 to 1988, Facts of Life was one of the longest-running sitcoms of the '80s, and in that time, its characters left a strong impression on Barrymore, showing her all new layers of strength to tap into as a woman in the industry. Drew Barrymore celebrates her 49th birthday with the beloved cast of 'Facts of Life' Drew Barrymore was surrounded by love in time for her 49th birthday, starring the cast of Facts of Life / EW video screenshot Thursday marks Barrymore's 49th birthday and footage from that night's episode of The Drew Barrymore Show shows Barrymore explaining to the Facts of Life cast just how much their work meant to her. In particular, those played by Nancy McKeon, Lisa Whelchel, and Mindy Cohn. RELATED: This Is Why ‘The Facts Of Life’ Actually Almost Failed "Jo was a major inspiration for me for Charlie's Angels," Barrymore shared. " showed that girls could be strong and tough, and you helped take a lot of intimidation away for females." In response, McKeon, who played Jo Polniaczek, gushed, "You are so dear." Barrymore and the cast ended up cheering each other on THE FACTS OF LIFE, (from left): Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Charlotte Rae, Kim Fields, Nancy McKeon, 1979-88. © Embassy Pictures / Courtesy: Everett Collection Barrymore then showered some appreciation on Whelchel. "Blair, for me, represented we could be intimidated by people but we don't have to fear them," she went on, "and we can still be friends with them. Because you know how popular, beautiful people can scare you sometimes? Blair was like, 'It's not about the outside, it's about the human inside.'" Cohn, who played Natalie, teasingly chimed in, "Drew, what did I do, what did I do, Drew?" She may have been partly joking, but die-hard Facts of Life fan Barrymore had an answer ready for every cast member. "You were a giant moral compass for me," she answered. "Natalie, to me, was always the voice of reason. You had an instilled knowledge of right, wrong, good, evil, which I did not have growing up." Barrymore was feeling the love and expressed her own appreciation in return / ImageCollect While the cast members got some individual love, Barrymore also sang praises for the cohesive whole they all created. "I think for those of us who didn't grow up in a traditional mother-father or two-parent household… I saw myself with you guys because you were raising yourself, you were raising each other, and Mrs. Garrett was at the helm of that," she went on. "Television on heavy family and I didn't relate and I didn't identify, didn’t see myself there… What I was learning was to be a strong, independent female who could take care of themselves and value female friendship and know that there was someone there watching out for them. I wanted so badly to be with you guys, and you gave me a blueprint that made my life feel better to me in every sense of the word."