Winona Laura Horowitz[1] (born(1971-10-29)October 29, 1971),[1] known professionally asWinona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing quirky characters in the late 1980s,[2] she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Ryder'smany accolades include aGolden Globe, as well as nominations for twoAcademy Awards, aBAFTA Award, and aGrammy Award.
Winona Laura Horowitz was born inWinona County, Minnesota,[4] to Cynthia Palmer (née Istas) and Michael D. Horowitz.[5] Winona's mother is an author, video producer, and editor, and her father is an author, editor, publisher, and antiquarian bookseller.[6][7] He also worked as an archivist for psychologistTimothy Leary (Ryder's godfather).[8] Winona's father's family is ofAshkenazi Jewish descent and hails fromUkraine[9][10] andRomania.[11][12] Growing up, Winona visited her paternal grandparents inBrooklyn for the Jewish Holiday ofPassover, every year.[13]
Named afterWinona, Minnesota, Winona Ryder was given her middle name, Laura, because of her parents' friendship withLaura Huxley, writerAldous Huxley's wife.[14] Winona's stage name derives fromMitch Ryder, a soul and rock singer[15] of whom her father was a fan.[16] Her father is anatheist and her mother is aBuddhist.[15] Winona has a younger brother, Urie (named in honor of the first man in space,Yuri Gagarin), and two older half-siblings from her mother's prior marriage: half-brother Jubal Palmer and half-sister Sunyata Palmer. Winona's family friends were her godfatherTimothy Leary, theBeat Movement poetsAllen Ginsberg andLawrence Ferlinghetti, and the science fiction novelistPhilip K. Dick.[14] In 1978, when she was seven years old, she and her family relocated to Rainbow, acommune nearElk, Mendocino County, California, where they lived with seven other families on a 300-acre (120 ha) plot of land. As the remote property had no electricity or television sets, Winona began to devote her time to reading and became an avid fan ofJ. D. Salinger'sThe Catcher in the Rye.[17]
When she was ten, Winona Ryder and her family moved toPetaluma, California. During her first week at Kenilworth Junior High, she was bullied by children who mistook her for aneffeminate boy.[14] In 1983, 12-year-old Ryder enrolled at theAmerican Conservatory Theater in nearbySan Francisco, where she took her first acting lessons. During the same year, she nearly drowned; the experience caused her to developaquaphobia.[14] Thepsychological trauma caused problems later in her life during the underwater scenes inAlien Resurrection (1997), some of which had to be reshot numerous times.[14] Ryder continued to be bullied through high school, when she achieved early film success withBeetlejuice: "I remember thinking, 'Ooh, it's like the number-one movie. This is going to make things great at school.' But it made things worse. They called me a witch."[18]
Ryder has said that her natural hair color is brown, but she was "really blonde as a kid";[19] when she was 11 or 12, she started dyeing her blonde hair blue and purple. At the time of her audition for the 1986 filmLucas, her hair had been dyed black and the filmmakers asked her to keep it.[20]
Winona was so smart. She was fifteen, she turned sixteen on the movie. She was aprodigy. From a very young age, she was an old soul. She really got the words and the imagery. She had watched tons of old movies. She was really sophisticated intellectually. She had the beauty of Veronica. She had the intelligence. She was just the perfect anti-Heather.
In 1985, Ryder sent a videotaped audition, where she recited a monologue from the novelFranny and Zooey byJ. D. Salinger, to appear in the filmDesert Bloom. Although the role went toAnnabeth Gish,[14][17] writer/directorDavid Seltzer cast her in his high school dramaLucas (1986), which starredCorey Haim,Charlie Sheen, andKerri Green. When asked how she wanted her name to appear in the credits, she suggested "Ryder" as her surname because a Mitch Ryder album that belonged to her father was playing in the background.[17] Winona's next film wasSquare Dance (1987), where her teenage character creates a bridge between two different worlds—a traditional farm in the middle of nowhere and a large city. She won acclaim for the performance, with theLos Angeles Times calling it "a remarkable debut."[22] Both films were only marginally successful commercially.
After seeing her inLucas, directorTim Burton cast Winona Ryder in his filmBeetlejuice (1988).[23] She starred as agoth teenager whose family moves to a haunted house populated by ghosts played byGeena Davis,Alec Baldwin, andMichael Keaton. The film was a success at the box office, and the film as well as Ryder's performance received mostly positive reviews from critics.[24][25] Also in 1988, she appeared alongsideKiefer Sutherland andRobert Downey Jr. in1969, a drama about the Vietnam War and the tensions it created in American families.
Ryder next starred in the independent filmHeathers (1989). The film, a satirical take on teenage life, featured Ryder andChristian Slater as high school sweethearts who begin killing off popular students. Her agent initially begged her to turn the role down, saying the film would "ruin her career".[14] Critical reaction to the film was largely positive,[26] and Ryder's performance was positively received, withThe Washington Post calling Ryder "Hollywood's most impressive ingénue […] Ryder […] makes us love her teen-age murderess, a bright, funny girl with a littleBonnie Parker in her. She is the most likable, best-drawn young adult protagonist since the sexual innocent ofGregory's Girl."[27] Despite its critical success,Heathers was a box-office flop, but has achieved the status of acult film in following decades.[28] Ryder's other 1989 starring role was in the biopicGreat Balls of Fire!, in which she played the 13-year-old bride (and cousin) of rock'n'roll idolJerry Lee Lewis. The film was a box-office failure and received mixed reviews from critics.[29] Ryder also appeared in 1989 in the music video forMojo Nixon's "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child".[30]
Ryder began the 1990s with three starring roles. In the fantasy filmEdward Scissorhands (1990), she reunited with director Tim Burton to play the female lead alongside her then-boyfriendJohnny Depp. The film was a significant box office success, grossing $86 million and receiving much critical devotion.[31][32] Ryder's second role of the year was in the family comedy-dramaMermaids (1990), which co-starredCher,Bob Hoskins, andChristina Ricci.Mermaids was a moderate box-office success and Ryder's performance was acclaimed; criticRoger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times wrote: "Winona Ryder, in another of her alienated outsider roles, generates real charisma."[33] For her performance, Ryder received aGolden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role[34] and a National Board Review award for the same category.[35] FollowingMermaids, Ryder had the lead role as a troubled teenager in the comedy-dramaWelcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990). The film co-starredJeff Daniels and was deemed a commercial flop. In 1990, Ryder also made a cameo inRoy Orbison's music video "A Love So Beautiful" withMatthew Modine,[36] and was awarded 'ShoWest's Female Star of Tomorrow' by The National Association of Theatre Owners.[35] She was next slated to appear asMary Corleone inFrancis Ford Coppola'sThe Godfather Part III, but withdrew from the project in the beginning of filming in 1990 due tonervous exhaustion.[37][38]
In 1991, Ryder played a young taxicab driver inJim Jarmusch's independent filmNight on Earth. The film was given a limited release, but received critical praise.[39] Ryder then starred in three big-budget adaptations of literary classics. The first wasBram Stoker's Dracula (1992), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Ryder in the dual role ofMina Murray andCount Dracula's past lover, Princess Elisabeta.[14] The script was originally intended for a television adaptation but Ryder liked it so much she brought it to Coppola's attention. The film premiered in November 1992 to critical and commercial success.[40]
Ryder continued her work in period films withMartin Scorsese'sThe Age of Innocence (1993), an adaptation ofEdith Wharton's novel that co-starredMichelle Pfeiffer andDaniel Day-Lewis. Ryder considers Scorsese "the best director in the world".[41] For her portrayal of May Welland, the fiancée of Newland Archer (Day-Lewis), Ryder won aGolden Globe[34] and receivedAcademy Award andBAFTA nominations as well.[42] Although not a commercial success, theAge of Innocence received critical praise upon its release in October 1993.Vincent Canby in theNew York Times wrote, "Ms Ryder is wonderful as this sweet young thing who's hard as nails, as much out of ignorance as of self-interest."[43]
Ryder next starred alongsideMeryl Streep,Jeremy Irons,Antonio Banderas, andGlenn Close in the melodramaThe House of the Spirits (1993), based onIsabel Allende'snovel. Also released in October 1993, the film was poorly reviewed and a box-office flop, grossing just $6 million on its $40 million budget.[44] Ebert wrote that Ryder "seems an unlikely casting choice but she is more convincing, with more abandon and passion, and she makes her character work."[45] Ryder was next set to star inBroken Dreams[46] with actorRiver Phoenix. The project was put on hold due to his death on October 31, 1993.[47] In 1993, Ryder also appeared on the music video "Without a Trace" bySoul Asylum, whose memberDave Pirner was her boyfriend at the time.[48]
Among the movie's strengths are the performances, especially that of Ryder, who comes across as bright, beautiful and more delicate than ever before.
Ryder's next film, theGeneration X dramaReality Bites (1994), marked a departure from period films. Directed byBen Stiller and co-starringEthan Hawke, the film featured Ryder as a recent college graduate searching for direction in life. According to Hawke and Stiller, the film gotgreenlit only due to Ryder's star status.[50] Her performance received acclaim but the film did not meet its studio's expectations in the box office.[51] Ryder returned to period films later that year, appearing as Jo March inLittle Women, an adaptation ofLouisa May Alcott'snovel. The film received widespread praise; criticJanet Maslin ofThe New York Times wrote that it was the greatest adaptation of the novel and that "Ms. Ryder, whose banner year also includes a fine comic performance inReality Bites, plays Jo with spark and confidence. Her spirited presence gives the film an appealing linchpin, and she plays the self-proclaimed 'man of the family' with just the right staunchness."[52][53] Ryder received her secondOscar nomination for the role, this time asBest Actress.[42] In 1994, Ryder also made a guest appearance inThe Simpsons episode "Lisa's Rival" asAllison Taylor, whose intelligence and over-achieving personality makes her an adversary ofLisa.
Ryder made several film appearances in 1996, the first inBoys. The film failed to become a box office success and attracted mostly negative critical reaction. Ebert wrote: "Boys is a low-rent, dumbed-down version ofBefore Sunrise, with a rent-a-plot substituting for clever dialogue", calling the film a waste of Ryder's talent.[56] Her next role was inLooking for Richard,Al Pacino's meta-documentary on a production ofWilliam Shakespeare'sRichard III, which grossed only $1 million at the box office but drew moderate critical acclaim.[57] She starred inThe Crucible withDaniel Day-Lewis andJoan Allen. The film, an adaptation ofArthur Miller'splay, centered on theSalem witch trials. It was expected to be a success, considering its budget, but was a commercial failure.[58] Despite this, it was well received and Ryder's performance was lauded, withPeter Travers ofRolling Stone writing, "Ryder offers a transfixing portrait of warped innocence."[59] Ryder later claimed that the role of Abigail Williams was the hardest in her whole career.[60]
Ryder next took on a role as anandroid inAlien Resurrection (1997), alongsideSigourney Weaver, who stars in the first fourAlien films. Ryder's brother, Uri, was a fan of the series, and when approached about it, she agreed to the project. The film became one of the least successful entries in theAlien film series, but was otherwise considered a success as it grossed $161 million worldwide.[61] Ryder's and Weaver's performances drew mostly positive reviews, and Ryder won aBlockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Actress. In his review of the film, Ebert commented that Ryder lacked the conviction and presence to stand alongside Weaver and the rest of the cast. He compared her with Jenette Goldstein inAliens. "Ryder is a wonderful actress, one of the most gifted of her generation, but wrong for this movie," he wrote.[62] At 1997'sShoWest event, she was presented with the 'Female Star of the Year' award.[63]
In 1999, Ryder starred in and served as an executive producer forGirl, Interrupted, based on the1993 memoir of the same name bySusanna Kaysen. The film had been in development since late 1996, but took time to begin filming. Ryder was deeply attached to the project, calling it her "child of the heart."[14] She played Kaysen, who hasborderline personality disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for recovery. Directed byJames Mangold and co-starringAngelina Jolie, the film was expected to mark Ryder's comeback playing leading roles. Instead, it turned out to be the "welcome-to-Hollywood coronation" for Jolie, who won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.[69] Ebert wrote: "Ryder shows again her skill at projecting mental states; one of her gifts is to let us know exactly what she's thinking, without seeming to."[70] He later called Ryder one of the reasons to see the film. The same year, Ryder was parodied inSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. She also started her own music company, Roustabout Studios, in 1999.[35]
In April 2000, Ryder was awarded the Peter J. Owens Award at theSan Francisco Film Festival.[71] Her next film, the melodramaAutumn in New York, co-starringRichard Gere, was released in August. The film received mixed reviews, but was a commercial success, grossing $90 million at the worldwide box office.[72][73] In September, Ryder made a guest appearance in the series finale ofComedy Central'sStrangers with Candy.[74] She then played a nun of a secret society loosely connected to the Roman Catholic Church and determined to preventArmageddon inLost Souls (2000), a commercial failure. Ryder refused to do commercial promotion for the film.[14] She later said, "I was attracted toLost Souls because I know nothing about this subject. I personally don't believe in demonic possession. For me to play this woman was a real challenge. She is the ultimate believer. Most of all, I just wanted to do a movie in the thriller genre, at least one."[75] On October 6, 2000, Ryder received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[76]
In 2001, Ryder began a four-year career hiatus. Apart from a guest appearance on NBC's sitcomFriends, playing Rachel's college sorority sister,[77] and a brief cameo in Ben Stiller's comedyZoolander (2001), she appeared in no new releases in 2001. She was scheduled to appear inLily and the Secret of Planting, but withdrew from the project after being hospitalized for a severe stomach-related disorder in August 2001.[78]
In December 2001, Ryder was arrested for shoplifting, which made it difficult for her to be insured for further film projects. After her courtroom appearances inMarc Jacobs clothes were noted in the media, she appeared in Jacobs' Spring 2003 advertising campaign.[79]
Woody Allen wanted to castRobert Downey Jr. and Ryder in his filmMelinda and Melinda (2004), but was unable to do so because "I couldn't get insurance on them ... We couldn't get bonded. The completion bonding companies would not bond the picture unless we could insure them. ... We were heartbroken because I had worked with Winona before [onCelebrity] and thought she was perfect for this and wanted to work with her again."[80][81]
In 2002, Ryder appeared in two movies filmed before her arrest. The first was a romantic comedy,Mr. Deeds, withAdam Sandler, grossing over $126 million in the United States alone.[82] The film was not a critical success; film criticPhilip French called it a terrible film, saying that "remakes are often bad, but this one was particularly bad."[83] The second film was the science fiction dramaSimone, in which she portrayed a glamorous star who is replaced by acomputer simulated actress due to the clandestine machinations of a director, portrayed by Al Pacino. On May 18, 2002, Ryder hostedSaturday Night Live.[84][85] In 2005, Ryder co-produced and co-narrated the documentaryThe Day My God Died (2004) withTim Robbins, which focuses on internationalchild sex trafficking.[2]
Ryder then played Deborah Kuklinski,[100] the wife of contract killerRichard Kuklinski, in the thrillerThe Iceman (2012), co-starringMichael Shannon.[101] She also appeared with herThe Iceman co-starJames Franco inThe Letter (2012).[102] She reunited with director Tim Burton, who directed her in the music video forThe Killers' single, "Here with Me",[103] and cast her in the animated 3D feature filmFrankenweenie (2012). Ryder also worked with the classic film channelTCM in 2012, guest hosting for a week in September, while Robert Osborne was on vacation,[104] and introducing some of her favorite classic films in December.[105][104]
In 2013, Ryder appeared in the action thrillerHomefront (2013), again opposite James Franco, this time playing a meth-addicted woman. Steven Boone of RogerEbert.com wrote: "Ryder often seems on the verge of laughing in Franco's face as he attempts to manhandle and pimp-talk her. But it's nice to see her raven eyes and regal cheekbones on a big screen again, in whatever capacity."[106] Ryder also starred in a segment of theComedy Central television seriesDrunk History (2013) called "Boston". She played religious protesterMary Dyer opposite stern Puritan magistrateJohn Endicott, played byMichael Cera.[107] She then took on the role of Peggy Shippen, the wife of Benedict Arnold, in her appearance of the second season ofDrunk History (2014).[108] In 2014, Ryder appeared in the British television filmTurks & Caicos (2014) and modeled in the Fall advertising campaign of fashion labelRag & Bone.[109]
In 2015, Ryder was a juror at theSundance Film Festival.[110] She continued her work in television with theHBO miniseriesShow Me a Hero (2015), in which she played the president of the Yonkers City Council. She then starred alongsidePeter Sarsgaard in the biopicExperimenter, playing the wife ofStanley Milgram.Experimenter was released to positive reviews in October 2015.[111][112] Ryder also appeared in advertisements forMarc Jacobs,[113] both for their cosmetics and for their spring 2016 collection.[114][115]
Since 2016, Ryder has starred in theNetflix science fiction-horror seriesStranger Things,[116] created byThe Duffer Brothers, playingJoyce Byers, a single mother whose 12-year-old sonWill vanishes mysteriously. The Duffer brothers said that Ryder "has a very intense energy about her ... a wiry unpredictability, a sort of anxiousness that we thought we'd really lean into."[117] The series' first season premiered in July 2016 to critical acclaim and high audience ratings.[118] Ryder also received praise for her performance,[119] and the cast won theSAG Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2017. The second and third seasons of the series were released in October 2017 and July 2019. For season 3, she was paid a reported $350,000 per episode.[120] The filming for the fourth season had been halted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, but resumed in September 2020. The first volume of season 4 premiered on May 27, 2022, and the second volume on July 1, 2022.Kate Bush's 1985 song "Running Up That Hill" reached number one oniTunes after the song was included in scenes ofStranger Things, after Ryder frequently wore Kate Bush T-shirts and lapel badges on set.[121]
In 2018, Ryder appeared in the filmDestination Wedding, alongsideKeanu Reeves. The same year, Ryder also starred in aL'Oréal shampoo commercial,[122] and inH&M's spring collection campaign co-starringElizabeth Olsen.[123] In 2020, Ryder appeared inSquarespace'sSuper Bowl commercial, which aired during the first half of the game.[124] Later that year, she starred inThe Plot Against America, an HBO limited series based onPhilip Roth's 2004novel of the same name.[125]David Simon, the creator of the series, said: "Winona always had the standing of the great American ingenue. Now we're ready for the second act, because she's always been a remarkable actor—always asking questions about the role, doing the research, and then feeling the camera instinctively once the work begins."[13] The series was Ryder's second collaboration with Simon; in 2014, she appeared in hisHBO miniseriesShow Me a Hero.[126]
In 2021, Ryder reprised her role as Kim Boggs inEdward Scissorhands alongsideTimothée Chalamet in a Super Bowl ad forCadillac.[127] Her next film wasGone in the Night, co-starringDermot Mulroney. As early as 1992, Ryder had expressed her willingness to appear in a sequel toBeetlejuice,[128] hinting at such a return in a November 2013 interview, provided that Burton and Keaton were involved,[129] and confirmed again in August 2015 that she would reprise her role in the sequel.[130] The sequel,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, finally went forward in the 2020s, with filming wrapped in late 2023 for a 2024 release.[131]
Ryder has been involved in philanthropic work since her twenties for theAmerican Indian College Fund, which sends low-income Native Americans to universities.[139][140]
Ryder metJohnny Depp at theGreat Balls of Fire! premiere in June 1989. In February 1990, the 18-year-old Ryder began dating the 26-year-old Depp after they were reintroduced by a mutual friend. They became engaged in July of that year, but split up in June 1993.[141][142] She datedSoul Asylum band memberDave Pirner[134] andHelmet frontmanPage Hamilton.[143] She dated actorMatt Damon from 1998 to 2000. Since 2011, she has been in a relationship with fashion designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn.[144][145]
In 1993, Ryder offered a $200,000 reward in hopes that it would lead to the safe return of kidnapped childPolly Klaas.[146][147] Klaas lived inPetaluma, where Ryder grew up. After the girl's death, Ryder dedicated her performance as Jo in the1994 film adaptation ofLittle Women, one of Klaas's favorite novels, to Klaas's memory.[148]
During a sentencing hearing related to her 2001 shoplifting incident, Ryder's attorney,Mark Geragos, referred to her work with the Polly Klaas Foundation and other charitable causes. In response, Deputy District Attorney Ann Rundle said, "What's offensive to me is to trot out the body of a dead child."[149] Polly's father, Marc Klaas, defended Ryder and expressed outrage at the prosecutor's comments.[149][150]
On December 12, 2001, Ryder was arrested on shoplifting charges inBeverly Hills, California, accused of stealing $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories from aSaks Fifth Avenue department store.[151][152][153] Los Angeles District AttorneyStephen Cooley assembled a team of eight prosecutors and filed four felony charges against her.[154][failed verification] Ryder hired celebrity defense attorneyMark Geragos. Negotiations failed to produce a plea bargain at the end of summer 2002 as the prosecution insisted on charging Ryder with a felony and not a misdemeanor. Joel Mowbray fromNational Review noted that the prosecution also refused the store's request to drop the charges.[155][156]
She was accused of using drugs, includingoxycodone,diazepam, andVicodin without valid prescription, but prosecutors dropped a drug possession count after it was proved that a doctor provided it to her as a medical treatment.[157] She was convicted of grand theft[158] and shoplifting but acquitted on the charge of burglary.[159] In December 2002, she was sentenced to three years of probation, 480 hours of community service, $3,700 in fines, and $6,355 in restitution to the Saks Fifth Avenue store, and ordered to attend psychological counseling and drug counseling.[160] On June 18, 2004, Superior Court Judge Elden Fox reviewed Ryder's probation report and observed that she had served 480 hours of community service, and the felonies were reduced to misdemeanors. She finished her probation in December 2005.[161]
Ryder later explained that the incident occurred during a difficult time in her life in which she was clinically depressed.[162] She added that the pain-killing medication, which a "quack" physician had prescribed her, clouded her judgment significantly.[163][164] Jules Mark Lusman, who prescribed the medication, subsequently had his medical license revoked by theMedical Board of California for unethically prescribing medication to his patients.[165][166]
^Dockterman, Eliana (June 27, 2016)."90s Icon Winona Ryder Is Making Her Comeback".Time.Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. RetrievedJune 27, 2016.Born in 1971 to two writers in a farmhouse near Winona, Minnesota, Ryder had a rather unconventional childhood.
^Hart, Mary (Host) (1989).Entertainment Tonight (Television production). CBS Paramount. Archived fromthe original on May 17, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 3, 2007.
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