Drew Barrymore Opens Up About Her Personal Connection to Hawaii

The talk show host recalled bringing her daughter to a place she visited as a child with her family

Drew Barrymore attends the 2023 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2023 in New York City.
Drew Barrymore. Photo:

Arturo Holmes/WireImage

Drew Barrymore has a special place in her heart for Hawaii.

On Wednesday, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appeared as a guest on The Drew Barrymore Show, where the two discussed a variety of topics, including what The Aloha State means to them. 

“I have a personal connection with Hawaii,” she told the former WWE wrestler, 51, whose Samoan mother was born there. 

Drew Barrymore Surprises Dwayne Johnson by Dressing Up as Him on Her Show.

The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean

“It's the first place that I ever traveled to. And it's the first place that my mother ever took me to on vacation. And she took me with her father and I wrote a chapter about it in my book called the 'Royal Hawaiian,' ” Barrymore, 49, said.

Johnson asked if that’s where the Charlie’s Angels alum had stayed, as her book is also the name of an iconic hotel located on Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach. 

She confirmed that it was indeed where her family stayed during their visit. 

“And then recently I was on a surfboard with my daughters and I looked over and there was the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and it was the most full circle moment of my life because as a 6-year-old girl that went there, I was a young girl myself. I love that you are transporting people to your homeland and honoring your family,” Barrymore said.

The Rock PAPATUI

Mark Seliger

She had been referring to Johnson’s latest endeavor, Papatui — a men's personal care brand featuring skin, hair, body and tattoo care products made with cleaner ingredients and focused on performance. 

“Thank you so much for saying that, with Papatui, it's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that,” Johnson replied. 

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE ahead of the brand’s March 10 launch, the Black Adam actor discussed how he came up with the name for the skincare line.

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“I remember telling my team, ‘I'm getting ready to take the girls back to Hawaii. Let me go back there and let me just sit in that aloha spirit that I always talk about,’” the father of three said. “And out of that, something really cool happened.”

He recalled how his Samoan grandfather “always smelled amazing” and “was always well-groomed.”

His nickname for Johnson was "Tui." 

“And I thought, ‘Okay, let's start there. There's something interesting there,’” he said. The actor then added “Papa” for his favorite role — “proud girl dad.”

They also played a game called “The Fanny Five.”

Drew Barrymore Surprises Dwayne Johnson by Dressing Up as Him on Her Show: 'I Love So Many Things About You'
Drew Barrymore.

The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean; Dwayne Johnson/Twitter

Dressed as The Rock’s viral black turtleneck and fanny photo, Barrymore reached into her pouch to pull out questions. 

One was, “Do you think that you can do five squats with me on your back?” which he completed with ease. 

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