Actress Drew Barrymore says she wishes she could change "everything" about her past, but appreciates that her history makes her who she is today.

Asked what she would like to change about her past, Barrymore said: "Probably everything, but if you're happy with your life today, you have to be appreciative of every single moment that led you to get here."

The 39-year-old actress feels "lucky" she has had her "experimental phase" rather than today as the world is "much worse" now, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"Most people go through an experimental phase in their lives, but it isn't public. I had to learn a lot of lessons on my own. But I was never a bad person, I never f***ed anyone over. I feel very lucky that it happened then. This is a much worse world to go through anything now. I'm like a quiet, boring church mouse now," she said.

Barrymore said people approach her with a sense of familiarity because she has grown up in the public eye.

"I'm Norm from 'Cheers'. I walk into a place and everyone says, 'Hi Norm'. It's just what my life is," she told Red magazine.