Oh, the life of Winona Ryder is a fascinating rollercoaster ride! From her early days in Hollywood, where she bravely navigated through the murky waters of creepy executives and unprofessional behavior, to her on-screen collaborations with some of the most iconic figures in film history.
From the moment I made my breakthrough appearance as the peculiar and unconventional Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton’s 1988 blockbuster “Beetlejuice,” it became evident that I wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Hollywood actress. With a character who grappled with melancholy and isolation while discovering her unique gift to see the deceased, I carved out a niche for myself in the industry, demonstrating my knack for tackling more complex roles than the average teenage starlet.
This held true throughout her career, with Ryder taking on numerous other troubled characters. These include Kim, who falls for a freakish yet kindhearted creature in “Edward Scissorhands,” Susanna, a teen who gets sent to a mental institution in the drama “Girl, Interrupted,” which is taking over Netflix, and Joyce Byers, a single mom who must save her son Will (Noah Schnapp) from The Upside Down in “Stranger Things.”
Although Ryder became a screen icon for misfits and nonconformists, she faced similar challenges off-screen as her character did. Her life was marked by mental health issues, sexual harassment, relationship troubles, legal problems, and more – it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for her.
She was bullied in school for her appearance
Before she became widely recognized, Winona Ryder had always walked to the rhythm of her unique tune. In her middle school days, instead of conforming to fashion trends, a young Ryder preferred clothing from the men’s section and sported an extremely short, boyish haircut. Sadly, this individualistic style made her a frequent target for bullies, as she later recounted her distressing adolescent years in Nigel Goodall’s book “Winona Ryder: The Biography.
In her memoir, she reminisced about the third day of her seventh-grade year at Kenilworth Junior High in Petaluma, California (as shared by People). She remembered wearing an old Salvation Army suit that belonged to a shop boy. While heading to the bathroom, she overheard people calling out a derogatory term, implying a homophobic slur. They violently shoved her head into a locker, causing her to fall to the floor where she was brutally kicked. This incident required stitches for her. As she grew older and gained fame in “Beetlejuice,” the bullying persisted. Instead of being called names implying her sexuality, she was branded as a witch due to her role as Lydia.
Despite no immediate consequences for those who tormented Ryder as a child, she eventually experienced a form of justice when one of her former bullies encountered her in a coffee shop years later, requesting an autograph. “She asked, ‘Don’t I know you? Weren’t you the kid I used to bully in seventh grade?'” Ryder recounted in her biography. “I responded, ‘Yes, it’s me. Go take a long walk off a short pier.’
She suffered anxiety early in her career
Since her early years, Winona Ryder struggled with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. These struggles intensified when she joined the Hollywood scene. In the 1990s, she proactively admitted herself to a mental hospital due to severe anxiety attacks. Despite this hospital stay, her recovery was not complete. The role of Susanna in the 1999 movie “Girl, Interrupted” resurfaced unwelcome emotions for her.
Actress Ryder shared with Entertainment Weekly her apprehension about portraying a character marked by fear and anxiety, as she herself has struggled with these feelings throughout her life. She admitted that to convincingly depict Susanna’s anxiety attacks on screen, she essentially had to induce one herself. Ryder explained, “I couldn’t easily switch off when they called ‘cut.’ My heart would race at a thousand beats per minute, and I would still be sweating, just as I did when I was 19…
Despite her renowned status and increasing wealth, Ryder often felt a sense of guilt for her emotions. Even though she was hailed as “the most fortunate girl in the world” by Rolling Stone, she was suffering deeply. In an interview with Diane Sawyer in 1999, Ryder expressed, “I find it just as distressing as anyone else when actors whine about their lives. We are indeed blessed and fortunate, but the struggles I experienced were challenging.
If you’re experiencing difficulties with your mental health, or if someone close to you is, consider reaching out to Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741. Alternatively, you can call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline at 1-800-950-6264. For more information, you might want to explore the resources available on the National Institute of Mental Health’s website.
Her looks were criticized in Hollywood
In my teenage years, even beyond the school gates, I, like Winona Ryder, wasn’t spared from harsh criticisms about my appearance. As I started auditioning for different roles, I was frequently told that I didn’t fit the industry’s conventional standards of beauty and was advised to abandon my aspirations. The powers that be thought I wouldn’t make it.
In an instance that stands out, I found myself auditioning, and just as I began my line, the casting director bluntly stated, “Look, kid, acting isn’t for you. You’re not attractive enough. You should return to your hometown and continue your education. You don’t possess the talent,” she asserted in an interview with Interview Magazine in 2013. I believe she genuinely thought she was offering me advice.
It’s clear that Ryder was aware she didn’t fit the typical mold of a Hollywood star. However, her spirit remained undeterred by such straightforward remarks, and she never felt compelled to alter herself to find work. Her parents instilled in her a resilience that allowed her to embrace her uniqueness. Instead of conforming, Ryder leveraged her distinctiveness to play unconventional characters like Lydia in “Beetlejuice” and Rina in “Lucas.” As she put it, she might not have been cast in other roles if she hadn’t taken these parts because she wasn’t considered conventionally beautiful.
She was arrested for shoplifting
In December 2001, the typically private actress, Winona Ryder, found herself under public scrutiny following an incident at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. She was charged with grand theft after allegedly removing security tags from clothes and other items valued around $5,500, intending to leave the store without paying for them. At the time, she was 30 years old.
Ryder was freed on a bond worth $20,000. Although she avoided serving any prison time, she was required to pay fines, perform community service, and serve three years of probation. The district attorney suggested that she undergo drug and psychiatric counseling due to the discovery of eight drugs in her possession during arrest, among them Endocet containing Oxycodone. She had prescriptions for most of these drugs, but not for the Endocet, which a doctor prescribed without a prescription.
Ryder didn’t openly discuss her arrest until several years later. In an interview with Vogue (as reported by People in 2007), she stated, “I didn’t harbor a strong sense of guilt because I hadn’t hurt anyone.” However, she acknowledged that the situation was mortifying, taking into account the hardships she was already facing. “Just two months before that, I had broken my arm in two places,” she explained. “A questionable doctor was giving me medications to help with the pain initially. Then there was this peculiar moment when I wasn’t sure if I was still in pain but I was still taking the pills.” She further disclosed that these painkillers sometimes left her feeling disoriented.
She took a hiatus from acting
After the public incident of shoplifting tarnished her reputation, Winona Ryder opted to temporarily withdraw from acting and reside near her parents in San Francisco. In a candid interview with Esquire, she disclosed that she felt detached and, on an emotional level, desired a change of pace away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
She shared with Porter magazine (through People) that she found herself in a psychological state where she felt the need to pause. She didn’t elaborate on the details, but it wasn’t as dramatic as people might imagine. It actually provided her with the time she needed, during which she returned to San Francisco and rekindled her passion for things she had been previously interested in.
For five years, Ryder remained under the radar, appearing in only a handful of projects during her semi-hiatus from the industry. Luckily, her always-supportive parents didn’t push her to return to her craft, nor did they reprimand her for the Saks Fifth Avenue incident. “No one ever got angry with me,” she told Vogue. “Concerned, yes, but not concerned with a drug problem or anything.” Ryder explained that, after her arrest, she no longer looked to painkillers.
She struggled to find work as she got older
After taking a break from Hollywood, Winona Ryder didn’t receive a flood of invitations to come back. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2022, she described it as a mutual separation. Yet, when she was eager to resume her career in her mid-30s, finding suitable roles became a challenge. This was the time of explicit comedies, which Ryder had no interest in. In an interview with Esquire, she expressed, “Actresses were being penalized for not getting the joke or not going along. Everyone was trying to be the ‘cool girl,’ both sexualized and one of the boys… I found it degrading. I just recall thinking, ‘If this is what’s ahead, we’re in trouble.’
Despite landing some intriguing roles, like a cameo in the 2010 film “Black Swan,” Joaquin felt that he was capable of tackling more complex characters than what is usually offered to actors nearing middle age. As he expressed to Esquire, “We desire to portray intricate characters. Not just strong ones. We want roles with depth!
The ideal chance presented itself when she was asked by Matt and Ross Duffer to play Joyce in “Stranger Things.” Despite the brothers being uncertain if Ryder would accept their proposal for the project, she eagerly joined. Joyce offers the depth that Ryder desired, from the anguish and sensitivity displayed as she tried to understand what happened to her son, to the resilience demonstrated while standing up against the antagonists alongside Jim Hopper (David Harbour, with whom she shares a loving yet complex off-screen bond).
She was heartbroken after her breakup with Johnny Depp
Although typically preferring to keep a low profile, Winona Ryder found herself in the limelight when she started dating her “Edward Scissorhands” co-star Johnny Depp at the age of 18. He was 26 then. Their relationship ignited quickly and intensely, leading them to become engaged. In fact, Depp went as far as getting a tattoo that read “Winona forever,” showing his deep commitment.
In the year 1993, having been together for four years, they decided to go their individual ways, leaving Ryder heartbroken as she considered Depp her “first in everything”. She confided in Cinema.com that she was deeply sad following the end of her engagement with Johnny. As stated by Depp, the public nature of their relationship and the intrusive media were significant contributors to their separation. He expressed this sentiment to the Los Angeles Times in 1993, stating, “Maintaining a personal life in this town is extremely challenging. My romance with Winona, it was my mistake to be so open, but I believed if we were honest, it would quell the curiosity. Instead, it fueled it, giving people the impression that they had a stake in our relationship.
In a new phrasing, this incident was the initial, genuine heartache for Ryder. Although the split and related events had an impact on her psychological well-being, she managed to preserve a friendship with Depp throughout the years. During his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard, which later became a Netflix documentary, Ryder continued to support him, stating that she has always known him as a good individual.
She endured alleged antisemitism
Winona Ryder, originally known as Winona Laura Horowitz, may not practice religion, but she cherishes and takes pride in her Jewish ancestry. Consequently, any antisemitic remark directed towards her or another Jew is bound to upset her. Throughout her career, Ryder has faced a variety of situations, ranging from subtle, seemingly complimentary remarks (she mentioned in an interview with The Sunday Times that she was once told, “You’re Jewish? But you’re so pretty!”) to, reportedly, harsh insults.
In the year around 1996, we found ourselves at a bustling party with one of my close friends. Mel Gibson happened to be there, puffing on a cigar. We were all conversing when he turned to my friend, who is gay, and made a remark like, “I hope I don’t catch AIDS here.” The conversation then led to something about Jews, to which he said, “You’re not avoiding the oven, are you?” This comment didn’t sit well with Ryder, as she had family members who perished in Nazi concentration camps.
According to what Gibson’s representative shared with Variety, it appears that Ryder fabricated the story. If this is indeed true, it wouldn’t be his first instance of making anti-Semitic remarks. In 2006, during an arrest for a DUI, Ryder, the actor and filmmaker, reportedly made the statement, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world!” Later on, he stated that he said this due to his anger and being under the influence, with claims that the officer was secretly recording him without permission. In response to these allegations, Ryder told Variety, “I advocate for redemption and forgiveness, and I hope Mr. Gibson has found a way to manage his personal issues healthily. However, I do not associate myself with his beliefs.
She was sexually harassed
Back in the days, before the #MeToo era, I faced some uncomfortable situations as a gamer navigating through life. In my late 20s and 30s, I encountered a few individuals who crossed the line with their sexually harassing behavior. These weren’t outright assaults, but they were beyond inappropriate – wild, you could say. Thankfully, I was able to share my experiences during an interview with Esquire in 2024.
In her own words, Ryder expressed empathy towards the victims of Harvey Weinstein, who faced sexual misconduct allegations. Although she wasn’t a victim herself, she had several uncomfortable interactions with the film producer, which she believes led to Miramax blacklisting her. As Ryder recounted, Weinstein felt offended when she offered a handshake (she suspects he was expecting something more) and suggested another actress for “Little Voice,” a role where he wanted her to star. In her own words, “I think I knew a little too much about him.” He didn’t seem to appreciate me.
During the filming of “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” a movie that left everyone amazed at the box office, Rydershared her experiences with her young co-star Jenna Ortega, cautioning her about the unsettling nature of Hollywood. She phrased it as, “I couldn’t help but say, ‘Goodness gracious, that’s truly disturbing.’
She was yelled at while filming Dracula
1992 saw Winona Ryder, who had declined Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather III” in 1990 to prioritize her mental well-being, given another chance to collaborate with the director. In his film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” she took on the role of Mina Murray, a character who finds herself drawn to Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) despite her forthcoming marriage to lawyer Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves).
In one specific scene, Ryder was required to portray extreme distress as Dracula, played by Oldman, was about to turn into a swarm of rats. According to an interview with The Sunday Times, Ryder claimed that Coppola reportedly hurled insults at her and urged the other cast members to do the same in order to make the scene appear authentic on camera. Ryder explained, “To be precise, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu, and others were encouraged by Francis to shout things intended to make me cry.
In this method, no tears were seen from Ryder’s eyes. Instead, it marked the start of a lasting friendship with Reeves, who decided not to be part of it initially. Years later, they reconnected in the 2018 film “Destination Wedding,” and since then, they’ve been referring to each other as “husband” and “wife,” symbolizing their on-screen wedding in “Dracula.
She had a rocky love life
Following her emotional separation from Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder’s romantic journey has been akin to riding a rollercoaster. Throughout various years, the actress has found herself linked to several well-known men, such as David Duchovny from “The X Files” and Helmet guitarist Page Hamilton. However, her most public relationship in the subsequent decade was with Matt Damon, whom she dated from 1997 until 2000.
Ryder might have a long history of past relationships, but as she puts it, she fully commits to whoever she is currently seeing, despite not always getting the same level of commitment in return. In her own words, she shared with Harper’s Bazaar, “I used to date people who would only tell me they were in a relationship with someone else after just a few weeks. It’s like, ‘What on earth?’
After a string of brief relationships, Ryder eventually settled into a long-term partnership with Scott Mackinlay Hahn, who, alongside him, started the eco-friendly fashion brand Loomstate. They were first rumored to be together in 2011, and as of now, they continue their relationship that has endured for more than ten years. Neither of them have shown signs of rushing into an engagement, marriage, or starting a family.
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2024-09-29 14:31