Drew Barrymore says having daughters humbled her: 'I was put on this planet to raise girls'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Drew Barrymore's life changed completely when she became a mother.

The actress, 49, talked about how raising her two daughters shifted her perspective and gave her a newfound purpose.

Drew Barrymore says her daughters are 'my North Star, my compass'

During a Wednesday, January 29, appearance on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', Drew Barrymore shared insights into her journey as a mother to Olive, 12, and Frankie, 10, whom she shares with her ex-husband Will Kopelman.

"They’re really, really good. Every day is different. Every hour is different. They’re my North Star, my compass," Barrymore said.

"I love that in the life that I got to live before I knew them, my priorities were different. And ever since I came into the world, I understand what the purpose of my life is. It’s wild," she said.

The 'Charlie's Angels' star recalled how discovering she was having daughters made her want to create a better childhood for them than she had herself.

"I found out I was having a daughter with Olive, and I thought, ‘Oh right, ok karmically that makes sense.’ There’s a lot of, ‘Ok, I’m having a girl,'" Barrymore said.

Drew Barrymore recalls a humbling moment with her second daughter

The actress shared that the arrival of her second daughter, Frankie, was a transformative experience.

"When I found out I was having Frankie, my second daughter, it humbled me in a way that I’ve never known, and I’ll never forget the moment because I realized I was put on this planet to raise girls," she said, People reported. 

"And that everything in my life was captured and a butterfly net to try and get this right," the 'Firestarter' actress said.

Reflecting on her own upbringing, Drew Barrymore admitted she wanted to do things differently for her children.

"If you don’t grow up in a perfect way with a perfect family, you fear the blueprint and you go, I want to do things differently. I felt unconfident, like this was the stakes of my life, and it took a few years, honestly, to have that confidence," she said.

Although she initially struggled with parenting, Barrymore described the experience as fulfilling. "It’s humorous and it’s delicious and it’s great. And they’re my everything," she said.

Steven Spielberg calls Drew Barrymore his 'training wheels for parenthood'

Drew Barrymore also spoke about her close relationship with director Steven Spielberg, whom she described as a "big father figure" in her life.

Spielberg, who directed her in 'ET the Extra-Terrestrial', recently revealed that working with Barrymore and the other child actors on the 1982 film changed his life, according to People.

"I was obsessed with telling stories, but making E.T. made me want to be a father for the first time. I never even thought about that until ET," Spielberg said during a panel at the TCM Classic Film Festival in New York City.

Barrymore reacted to his comments on the show, expressing relief that she had not discouraged Spielberg from wanting to be a parent. "He always called me his training wheels for parenthood," she said.

"I spent so much time with him, and he really took me under his wing," Barrymore said.

"He was someone who was there and who I believed in, and I could call, and I would spend weekends at his house, and he was always showing movies. He was such a good father figure. I knew he was going to be the best father," the 'Grey Gardens' star said.