Winona Ryder

American actress

Also known as: Winona Laura Horowitz

Written by Kara Rogers

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Oct 25, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Neé:: Winona Laura Horowitz

Born:: October 29, 1971, Winona, Minnesota, U.S.

Also Known As:: Winona Laura Horowitz

Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):: "The Plot Against America" (2020); "Stranger Things" (2016–2019); "Destination Wedding" (2018); "Show Me a Hero" (2015); "Experimenter" (2015); "Drunk History" (2013–2014); "Homefront" (2013); "Frankenweenie" (2012); "The Letter" (2012); "The Iceman" (2012); "The Dilemma" (2011); "Black Swan" (2010); "Stay Cool" (2009); "Star Trek" (2009); "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" (2009); "The Informers" (2008); "The Last Word" (2008); "Sex and Death 101" (2007); "The Ten" (2007); "A Scanner Darkly" (2006); "The Darwin Awards" (2006); "S1m0ne" (2002); "Mr. Deeds" (2002); "Friends" (2001); "Lost Souls" (2000); "Strangers with Candy" (2000); "Autumn in New York" (2000); "Girl, Interrupted" (1999); "Celebrity" (1998); "The Larry Sanders Show" (1998); "Alien: Resurrection" (1997); "The Crucible" (1996); "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist" (1996); "Boys" (1996); "How to Make an American Quilt" (1995); "Little Women" (1994); "The Simpsons" (1994); "Reality Bites" (1994); "The House of the Spirits" (1993); "The Age of Innocence" (1993); "Dracula" (1992); "Night on Earth" (1991); "Mermaids" (1990); "Edward Scissorhands" (1990); "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael" (1990); "Great Balls of Fire!" (1989); "Heathers" (1988); "1969" (1988); "Beetlejuice" (1988); "Square Dance" (1987); "Lucas" (1986)

Movies/Tv Shows (Writing/Creator):: "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist" (1996)

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Winona Ryder (born October 29, 1971, Winona, Minnesota, U.S.) is an American actress who played prominent roles in such popular films as Beetlejuice (1988), Heathers (1988), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), and The Age of Innocence (1993). Ryder initially was known for playing offbeat, outsider characters but later gained critical acclaim in leading roles. In the 2000s, after a hiatus from acting, Ryder made a remarkable return to the screen, with roles in Star Trek (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), and, most notably, the popular science-fiction–horror series Stranger Things (2016– ), which aired on Netflix and for which she gained Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations.

Ryder was born to Cynthia Palmer and Michael Horowitz, both authors and editors; her father was also a bookseller. Ryder identified as Jewish, following in her father’s family heritage. At age seven Ryder moved with her family to Northern California, where her father owned land shared with multiple other families. There, on a ranch commune, she spent her time attending school, reading, and playing outdoors. When she was 10, her family moved to Petaluma, California, and, soon after, she began taking acting classes at the American Conservatory Theater in nearby San Francisco.

Ryder made her acting debut in the film Lucas, a romantic comedy-drama. It was then that she chose Ryder as the surname that she wanted to appear in the film’s credits. Her first box-office success was the film Beetlejuice (1988), directed by Tim Burton; she would later attribute the success of her career to Burton. Ryder took her first starring role in the critically acclaimed black comedy Heathers (1988); her portrayal of the female protagonist, Veronica Sawyer, was well received. Ryder was subsequently cast in other prominent roles, including reuniting with Burton to play the female lead in the fantasy romance Edward Scissorhands (1990), starring alongside Cher in the comedy-drama Mermaids (1990), and playing Mina Harker, the lead female character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Ryder next starred in the historical drama The Age of Innocence (1993), directed by Martin Scorsese. She was recognized for her performance with a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress. In 1994 she took the lead in Little Women, earning critical acclaim for her strong portrayal of the protagonist Jo March. Ryder’s success continued in the late 1990s, with major roles in multiple films, including Alien Resurrection (1997) and Girl, Interrupted (1999).

In 2001 Ryder’s career took a downturn when she was arrested for shoplifting, having taken $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Prior to the incident, she had been prescribed pain relievers for a broken arm; among the drugs was oxycodone, which Ryder claimed had left her in a state of confusion. During this time she confronted significant anxiety and depression, conditions that had plagued her through much of the 1990s, through her rise to stardom. Following her arrest, Ryder decided to take a break from acting, relocating to San Francisco to be closer to her parents.

Winona RyderAmerican actress Winona Ryder in 2018.

Ryder made a return to film in 2006, with a leading role in the adventure comedy The Darwin Awards and starring in A Scanner Darkly. She subsequently starred in several other films, including Sex and Death 101 (2007), Star Trek (2009), and Frankenweenie (2012), the latter directed by Burton. Those works were followed by her selection for the role of Joyce Byers in the critically acclaimed science-fiction–horror series Stranger Things (2016– ). Ryder’s performance in the challenging role garnered significant praise from critics. She later starred in the television drama series The Plot Against America (2020), which aired on HBO.

Ryder was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to having been nominated for a Grammy Award for her 1995 narration of Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.

Kara Rogers