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'Winona Ryder' (born October 29 1971) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning American actress.
Ryder made her screen debut in ''Lucas'' (1986) playing a teenage girl with a crush on the film's title character. In 1988, she received attention for her role in ''Beetlejuice'' as a Gothic teenager named Lydia. After making various appearances in film and television, Ryder received her breakthrough role in the cult classic black comedy, ''Heathers'' (1989) alongside Christian Slater. Her subsequent performances in films such as ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''Mermaids'' (1990), ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992), ''Little Women'' (1994), ''The Age of Innocence'' (1994), and ''Girl, Interrupted'' (1999), have won her not only critical acclaim but also many film awards. In 2000, Ryder received her Star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, certifying her as one of the most successful actresses of her time.^[1]. So far she has received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Academy Award nominations in 1993 and 1994, respectively.
Ryder is also known for her high profile romance with Johnny Depp in the early 1990s. Her film career slowed down considerably after her arrest for shoplifting from a Saks Fifth Avenue store on December 12, 2001 — which attracted worldwide media attention. Despite the negative publicity, however, Ryder maintained a moderately successful film career well into the 2000s.

Contents

Early life and education

Career

Early works, 1985–1990

Major success, 1991–1995

Continued success, 1996–2000

Hiatus, 2001–2005

2006–present

Personal life

Relationships

Polly Klaas

2001 shoplifting incident

Other interests

Filmography

Notes

External links

Early life and education

Born 'Winona Laura Horowitz' in Olmsted County, Minnesota, she was named after the nearby city of Winona. She was given her middle name, Laura, because of her parents' friendship with Aldous Huxley's wife, Laura Huxley.^[2] Her mother is Cindy Horowitz (née Istas), a practicing Buddhist and author of 'Shaman Woman, Mainline Lady: Women's Writings on the Drug Experience', and her father is author and editor Michael Horowitz. Her paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. Records show her father's family were originally named Tomschin when they arrived on the Kroonland at Ellis Island in 1906, but went under the name Horowitz when they resided in Manhattan. Ryder has one sibling, a younger brother, Yuri (named after Yuri Gagarin), an older half-brother, Jubal, and an older half-sister, Sunyata. Notable family friends include her godfather, LSD guru Timothy Leary, and beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
In 1978, when Ryder was 7 years old, she and her family relocated to Rainbow, a commune near Elk, California, where they lived with seven other families on a 300-acre (1.2 km²) plot of land. As the remote property had no electricity or television sets, Ryder took to reading. Her mother did, however, show her some films on a screen in the barn and consequently, she developed an interest in acting.
At age ten, Ryder and her family moved on again, this time to Petaluma, California. During her first week at the Kenilworth Middle School, she was bullied by a group of her peers who mistook her for an effeminate, scrawny boy. As a result, she ended up being homeschooled that year. In 1983, when Ryder was twelve, she enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater in nearby San Francisco, where she took her first acting lessons. She graduated from Petaluma High School with a 4.0 GPA.^[3]
Ryder has also revealed that she suffers from aquaphobia due to the trauma caused by an incident in which she nearly drowned at age 12. This caused problems when she had to act in some of the underwater scenes in ''Alien: Resurrection'' in 1997, and the scenes had to be reshot numerous times.^[4]

Career

Early works, 1985–1990

In 1985, Ryder sent a videotaped audition to appear in the film ''Desert Bloom'' and was rejected. Despite this, David Seltzer, a writer and director, soon noticed her and cast her for his 1986 film ''Lucas'' in the role of a friend of the main character. When asked how she wanted her name to appear in the credits, she suggested "Ryder" as her surname as a Mitch Ryder album which belonged to her father was playing in the background.^[5]
Her next movie was ''Square Dance'' (1987), where her teenage character creates a bridge between two different worlds — a ''traditional farm in the middle of nowhere'' and a ''Big City''. The film considered the question of how much of our behavior derives from our genetic background, how much is influenced by society (i.e., the nature vs. nurture debate), and what the ethical implications are. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called Ryder's performance in ''Square Dance'' "a remarkable debut".^[6] However, both films failed to gain Ryder any notice, and were only marginally successful commercially. Ryder's next role was in Tim Burton's 1988 film ''Beetlejuice'', in which she played a gothic-dressing teenager named Lydia Deetz, suffering from depression. Lydia's family moves to a haunted house populated by ghosts played by Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and Michael Keaton. Lydia quickly finds herself the only human with a strong empathy toward the ghosts and their situation. The film was a moderate success at the box office, and Ryder's performance and the overall film received mostly positive reviews from critics.^[7]
In 1989, Ryder starred in the independent production ''Heathers''. The film was a satirical take on high school life, with Ryder playing Veronica Sawyer, a character who is strongly opposed to violence as a way to resolve conflicts and is ultimately forced to choose between the will of society and her own heart. Upon taking the role, Ryder's agent begged her to turn it down, saying the film would "ruin her career."^[4] Ryder later fired that agent. The film was a flop at the box office on its initial release, but has achieved cult classic status from high sales and rentals. Marked by controversy in its depiction of violence in teenage life, critical reaction was lukewarm,''Heathers'' at Rotten Tomatoes; last accessed on May 5, 2007. but Ryder's performance was critically embraced, with The ''Washington Post'' stating Ryder is "Hollywood's most impressive inge'nue [sic] ... Ryder ... makes us love her teen-age murderess, a bright, funny girl with a little Bonnie Parker in her. She is the most likable, best-drawn young adult protagonist since the sexual innocent of ''Gregory's Girl''".^[9] Later that year, she starred in ''Great Balls of Fire!'', playing the thirteen-year-old bride of Jerry Lee Lewis. The film was a box office failure, but became a moderate success with critics. In April 1989, she played the title role in the music video for Mojo Nixon's ''Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child.''^[10][10]
In 1990, Ryder appeared in three films, the first playing the primary role in ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), alongside her then-boyfriend Johnny Depp. The film would reprise Tim Burton and Ryder, who had previously worked together on ''Beetlejuice''. ''Edward Scissorhands'' would become one of 1990s highest grossing films, and was deemed by The ''Austin Chronicle'' as an "utterly enchanting fairy tale".^[12] Later that year, she withdrew production on Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Godfather Part III'', after she had attended to Rome, Italy for filming, and stated that one morning she "could simply not get out of bed". The illness caused Ryder to cancel the project. This caused a state of difficulty for finding a role to replace Ryder. Eventually, Coppola's daughter Sofia Coppola was given the role.
Ryder's next role was in the family comedy ''Mermaids'' (1990), a cast which included Cher, a young and then-unknown Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins, which became a moderate success. For her role as Charlotte Flax, Ryder received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. At the same time Ryder performed alongside with Cher and Christina Ricci the video from The Shoop Shoop Song the theme from ''Mermaids''. Following ''Mermaids'' was ''Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael'', which failed to generate much attention.

Major success, 1991–1995

In 1991, Ryder played a young taxi driver who dreams of becoming a mechanic in Jim Jarmusch's ''Night on Earth'', challenging society's widely accepted gender roles. The film was only given a limited release at the box office, but received critical praise.^[13] She also starred in 1991's melodrama ''House of the Spirits'', set in Chile in 1926 and capturing the upheavals of the political side of the country. Ryder played the love interest of Antonio Banderas. Principal filming was done in Denmark and Portugal. The film was poorly reviewed and a box office flop, grossing just US$6,265,311 on its US$40 million budget. The following year, Ryder starred in the dual roles of Dracula's reincarnated love interest Mina Murray and Dracula's past lover Princess Elisabeta, in ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'', a project she brought to director Francis Ford Coppola's attention.
In 1993, Ryder starred in ''The Age of Innocence'' (alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis), a film based on a novel by Edith Wharton and helmed by director Martin Scorsese, whom Ryder considers as "the best director".^[14] Ryder portrayed a young woman, captured in plots within plots within plots of the society where every sentence pronounced has at least three different meanings. Her surroundings reflect the interpersonal and societal conflicts raging within and around her via many scenic references and multi-layered utterances. Her role in this movie won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as an Academy Award nomination in the same category.
Her next starring role was in 1995's ''How to Make an American Quilt''. Later in 1994, Ryder was handpicked to play Josephine March in the classical literature film adaptation of ''Little Women''. Ryder received widespread praise, with noted critic Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' remarking that "[Ryder] gives a strong and sunny performance".^[15] She also received an Best Actress Oscar nomination the following year. That same year, Ryder starred in ''Reality Bites'', playing a young woman searching for direction in her life. She also made a guest appearance in ''The Simpsons'', in the episode "Lisa's Rival", as Allison Taylor.

Continued success, 1996–2000

Ryder made several film appearances in 1996. Her first role was in ''Boys'', a film in which her character seems to be pitted against the whole world, with love her only true friend. The film failed to become a box office success, and attracted strong negative critical reaction. Roger Ebert, of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' stated that "''Boys'' is a low-rent, dumbed-down version of ''Before Sunrise,'' with a rent-a-plot substituting for clever dialogue."^[16]
In 1996, she starred in Al Pacino's debut as a director, ''Looking for Richard'', which became a failure commercially, yet drew moderate critical attention. She also starred as the lead in ''The Crucible'' alongside Daniel Day-Lewis and Joan Allen. The film centered on the Salem witch trials and the hysteria that prompted the deaths of many without trial. The film was expected to be a success, considering its budget, but became a large failure at the box office. Despite this, it received critical acclaim, and Ryder's performance was given laudatory praise, with Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' Magazine saying, "Ryder offers a transfixing portrait of warped innocence."^[17] Later that year, Ryder was described as one of "world's most beautiful women" in the "100 Most Beautiful" issue of ''People Magazine''. Ryder was turned down for the lead role in ''Conspiracy Theory'' (1997), being called "too young", which went to Julia Roberts.
In December of 1996, Ryder accepted a role as a humanoid robot in 1997's '', alongside Sigourney Weaver, who had appeared in the entire ''Alien'' trilogy. Ryder's brother, Suri, was a major fan of the film series, and when asked, she took the role. The film became one of the least successful entries in the ''Alien'' film series, but was still a success all things considered, grossing $161 million worldwide.^[18] Weaver's and Ryder's performances drew mostly positive reviews, and Ryder won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Actress. Ryder then starred in Woody Allen's ''Celebrity'' (1998), after Drew Barrymore turned down Ryder's role, in an ensemble cast. The film satirizes the life of multiple celebrities.
In 1999, she performed in and served as executive producer for ''Girl, Interrupted'', based on the 1993 autobiography of Susanna Kaysen. The film had been in project and post-production since late 1996, however it took time to surface. Ryder was deeply attached to the film, considering it her "child of the heart"^[19] Ryder starred as Kaysen, who had a borderline personality disorder. Ryder starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Angelina Jolie. While the lead role of the film was Ryder's character, and anticipated to be a comeback for Ryder, the film instead became the "welcome-to-Hollywood coronation" for Jolie.^[20] Also in 1999, Ryder was parodied in the . The following year, she starred in the romantic comedy ''Autumn in New York'', alongside Richard Gere. The film received mixed reviews; however, according to Box Office Mojo, it grossed more than 90 million stateside. In 2000, she played a nun of a secret society loosely connected to Roman Catholic Church determined to prevent Armageddon in ''Lost Souls'', which did not do well at the box office. Ryder also refused to do any promotion for ''Lost Souls''.^[4] Later in 2000, she was one of several celebrities who made a small cameo appearance in ''Zoolander''.

Hiatus, 2001–2005

Ryder had a hiatus after her shoplifting incident. The new book ''Conversations With Woody Allen'' reports that film director Woody Allen wanted to cast Robert Downey Jr. and Winona Ryder in his film ''Melinda and Melinda'' in 2000, but was unable to do so because he could not get insurance on them. "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," said Allen. "We were heartbroken because I had worked with Winona before [on "Celebrity"] and thought she was perfect for this and wanted to work with her again" Allen added. [1]
In 2002, Ryder appeared in two films. The first was a romantic comedy titled ''Mr. Deeds'', alongside Adam Sandler. This was her most commercially successful movie to date, earning over $126 million in the U.S. alone. She played a cynical reporter for an unscrupulous television program. The second film was the science fiction drama ''S1m0ne'' in which she portrayed a glamorous star who is replaced by a computer simulated actress due to the clandestine machinations of a director, portrayed by Al Pacino.

2006–present

In 2006, after an extensive hiatus, Ryder appeared in Richard Linklater's ''A Scanner Darkly'', a futuristic movie based on Philip K. Dick's critically acclaimed novel. Ryder portrayed Donna Hawthorne alongside Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr and Woody Harrelson. Live action scenes were transformed with rotoscope software and the film was entirely animated. ''A Scanner Darkly'' was screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival. Critics disagreed over the film's merits. Carina Chocano of the ''Los Angeles Times'' found the film "engrossing" and wrote that "the brilliance of [the film] is how it suggests, without bombast or fanfare, the ways in which the real world has come to resemble the dark world of comic books."^[22] Similarly, Matthew Turner of ViewLondon, believing the film to be "engaging" and "beautifully animated," also praised the film for its "superb performances" and original, thought-provoking screenplay.^[23] Ryder also recently appeared in the comedy ''The Darwin Awards'', starring alongside Joseph Fiennes. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2007.
Ryder also confirmed to ''Entertainment Weekly'' she is reuniting with screenwriter Daniel Waters,^[24] who wrote ''Heathers'', for the surreal black comedy ''Sex and Death 101'' (2007). The story follows the sexual odysseys of successful businessman Roderick Blank, played by Simon Baker, who receives a mysterious e-mail on the eve of his wedding, listing all of his past and future sex partners. Filming wrapped July 6, 2006, and is set for release in 2007.Sex and Death 101 at E! Online; last accessed on May 5, 2007. "We will be doing a sequel to ''Heathers'' next", Ryder said. "There's Heathers in the real world! We have to keep going!" In a recent interview for ''Entertainment Weekly'' Ryder was quoted as saying,
Ryder will also soon appear in David Wain's new comedy ''The Ten,'' along with Jessica Alba, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, Famke Janssen, Oliver Platt, and Adam Brody. The film centers around 10 stories, each inspired by one of the Ten Commandments. Filming wrapped on September 7, 2006. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival 2007 on January 10, 2007. A theatrical release date has been set for August 3, 2007.
It has also been announced Ryder will play the female lead opposite Wes Bentley and Ray Romano in Geoffrey Haley’s offbeat romantic drama ''The Last Word''. Filming is set to begin on March 19, 2007.^[25]

Personal life

Relationships

Ryder has had many high profile relationships with actors. She was engaged to actor Johnny Depp for three years beginning in July 1990.^[26] During their relationship, Depp had a tattoo placed on his arm reading "Winona Forever," which he had altered to "Wino Forever" after their separation. Ryder later had serious relationships with Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner and actor Matt Damon. Ryder also told ''W Magazine'' in a July, 2002 issue that she is close friends with comedian and actor Jimmy Fallon.^[27] She was also close friends with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, until they reportedly "grew apart".Winona Ryder trivia information at IMDb.com; last accessed on May 5, 2007

Polly Klaas

In 1993, Ryder became involved in the Polly Klaas kidnapping case.^[28] Klaas lived in the same town where Ryder grew up, Petaluma. Ryder offered a $200,000 reward for the 12 year-old kidnap victim's safe return. After Polly's death, Ryder starred in the 1994 film adaptation of ''Little Women'' by Louisa May Alcott and dedicated it to her memory. ''Little Women'' was one of Polly's favorite novels. The producers at first wanted to remove the dedication, but Ryder said she would not do any publicity for the film if it was removed, so it was retained.^[29]
In December of 2002, during Ryder's sentencing for shoplifting, her attorney Mark Geragos detailed Ryder's efforts in the Klaas kidnapping during his defense arguments. DA assistant Ann Rundle then accused Ryder of "building her career over the body of a dead child." Ryder was visibly upset by the accusation. Mark Klaas, Polly's father, was expelled from the courtroom while attempting to voice protest.

2001 shoplifting incident

On December 12, 2001, Ryder was arrested for shoplifting $5,500 USD worth of designer clothes and accessories at a Saks Fifth Avenue department store in Beverly Hills, California.BBC News (January, 2002); last accessed May 5, 2007.^[30][31] Los Angeles District Attorney Stephen Cooley produced a team of eight prosecutors. Cooley filed four felony charges against her in what was described by a British newspaper ''The Guardian'' as a "show-trial", since the prosecution demanded the trial be televised. Ryder hired noted celebrity defense attorney Mark Geragos. Negotiations for a plea-bargain failed at the end of summer 2002.^[32] As noted by Joel Mowbray from the ''National Review'', the prosecution was not ready to offer the actress what was given to 5000 other defendants in similar cases, an open door to a no-contest plea on misdemeanor charges.
During the trial, she was also accused of using drugs without valid prescriptions. According to a probation report, Ryder had filled up to 37 prescriptions written by 20 doctors, using six different aliases, in a three-year period. The defense produced the written prescriptions for the drugs that the police found in her purse, and the prosecution consequently dropped the charge. Ryder was convicted of grand theft and vandalism, but was acquitted on the third felony charge, burglary.^[33] In December of 2002, she was sentenced to three years' probation, 480 hours of community service, US$3,700 in fines, and US$6,355 in restitution to the Saks Fifth Avenue store—and was ordered to attend psychological and drug counselling by the judge.^[34]
The charges were eventually reviewed, and on June 18, 2004 the felonies were reduced to misdemeanors.^[35][36]

Other interests

Since the age of fourteen, Ryder enjoyed skateboarding but was encouraged to give it up by agents after she became a successful actress. In her spare time, Ryder enjoys reading 1960s literature, and books by Jane Austen. She has cited ''The Catcher in the Rye'' by J.D. Salinger as her favorite novel.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1986	''Lucas''	Rina
1987	''Square Dance''	Gemma Dillard
1988	''1969''	Beth
	''Beetlejuice''	Lydia
1989	''Great Balls of Fire!''	Myra Gale Lewis
	''Heathers''	Veronica Sawyer
1990	''Mermaids''	Charlotte Flax	Golden Globe nomination - Best Supporting Actress
	''Edward Scissorhands''	Kim
	''Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael''	Dinky Bossetti
1991	''Night on Earth''	Corky
1992	''Bram Stoker's Dracula''	Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker/Elisabeta
1993	''The House of the Spirits''	Blanca Trueba
	''The Age of Innocence''	May Welland	Academy Award nomination - Best Supporting Actress, BAFTA nomination - Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe win - Best Supporting Actress
1994	''Little Women''	Josephine "Jo" March	Academy Award nomination - Best Actress
	''Reality Bites''	Lelaina Pierce
	''The Simpsons''	Allison Taylor	Voice, Season 6, Episode 2: Lisa's Rival, television
1995	''How to Make an American Quilt''	Finn Dodd
1996	''The Crucible''	Abigail Williams
	''Looking for Richard''	Lady Anne	Documentary film
	''Boys''	Patty Vare
1997	''	Annalee Call
1998	''Celebrity''	Nola
1999	''Girl, Interrupted''	Susanna Kaysen	Also executive producer
2000	''Lost Souls''	Maya Larkin
	''Autumn in New York''	Charlotte Fielding	Razzie nomination - Worst Screen Couple
2001	''Zoolander''	Herself	Uncredited cameo
	''Friends''	Melissa Warburton	Season 7, Episode 20: The One with Rachel's Big Kiss, television
2002	''S1m0ne''	Nicola Anders
	''Mr. Deeds''	Babe Bennett/Pam Dawson	Razzie nomination - Worst Actress
2003	''The Day My God Died''	Narrator	Voice, producer, documentary film
2004	''The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things''	Psychologist	Uncredited
2005	''Children of the Revolution: Tune Back In''	Herself	Documentary film
2006	''The Darwin Awards''	Siri
	''A Scanner Darkly''	Donna
2007	''The Last Word''		Post-production
	''Alpha Numeric''	Tea Baker	Pre-production
	''The Ten''	Kelly	Completed
	''Sex and Death 101''	Gillian	Completed
2008	''Ember''		Pre-production

Notes

1. Winona Ryder Gets Her Own Star Ellen A. Kim
2. Winona Ryder trivia, quotes and biography
3. Winona Ryder biography at Internet Movie Database; last accessed May 5, 207.
4. Winona Ryder trivia at Internet Movie Database; last accessed May 5, 207.
5. Winona Ryder's biography at the Internet Movie Database; last accessed May 5, 207.
6. http://www.bookrags.com/Winona_Ryder
7. ''Beetlejuice'' at Rotten Tomatoes.com; accessed on May 5, 2007.
8. Winona Ryder trivia at Internet Movie Database; last accessed May 5, 207.
9. Heathers Rita Kempley
10.
11.
12. ''Edward Scissorhands'' at Rotten Tomatoes; last accessed May 5, 2007.
13. ''Night on Earth'' at Rotten Tomatoes; last accessed on May 5, 2007.
14. Winona Ryder's Eclectic Career, BBC.co.uk, November 6, 2002. Retrieved on May 10, 2006.
15. Ebert, Roger. Reveiws: Little Women. ''Chicago Sun-Times''. December 21, 1994. Accessed May 5, 2007
16. Ebert, Roger.Reveiws: Boys. ''Chicago Sun-Times''. January 19, 1996. Accessed May 5, 2007
17. Travers, Peter. Reveiws: The Crucible. ''Rolling Stone Magazine'', 1996. Accessed May 5, 2007.
18. Overview of ''Alien: Resurrection'' reviews
19. Winona Ryder trivia at IMDb.com; last accessed May 5, 207.
20. IMDb Movie of the Day. ''IMDb''. March 7, 2003. Accessed April 14, 2007.
21. Winona Ryder trivia at Internet Movie Database; last accessed May 5, 207.
22. http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-scannerdarkly7jul07,0,5662926.story
23. http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/review_2911.html
24. Winona Ryder talks about A Scanner Darkly at E! Online; accessed on May 5, 2007.
25. Winona Ryder news archive; last accessed on May 5, 2007
26. http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/johnnydepp.html
27. http://www.style.com/w/feat_story/050902/full_page.html
28. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800010920/bio
29. ''Little Women'' trivia at the IMDb.com; last accessed on May 5, 2006.
30. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/News/12/13/ryder.arrest/
31. The Age (Australia); last accessed May 5, 2007.
32. ABC News (January 2003); last accessed May 5, 2007.
33. http://www.courttv.com/trials/ryder/index.html
34. http://mesh.medill.northwestern.edu/mnschicago/archives/2002/12/with_winona_ryd.html
35. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/18/entertainment/main624887.shtml
36. WENN (June 19, 2004) Internet Movie Database; last accessed May 4, 2007

External links

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