She bagged Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, and Rob Lowe, in their prime. She was best friends with Gwyneth Paltrow; they set each other up on dates, stole scripts from under each other’s noses, and ran around town in couture dresses, beaming for the paps. The Halcyon 90’s. Karlie and Taylor can only dream. Winona won awards, praise, and fans, and made millions off her successful films. For the most part of the late 80’s and early 90’s, she was every director’s go-to actress when it came to casting awkward, earnestly beautiful roles that required a certain kind of sincerity and charm. She was relatable, whether people liked to admit it or not. She wasn’t a bombshell in any sense, but had this subtle, breathtakingly human quality about her. She brought range and charisma to the silver screen but couldn’t for the life of her fake her way through an awkward interview. That’s human.
But, soon enough, it happened. The year was 2001; a particularly doe-eyed, quirky Hollywood ingénue made her way into Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. She tip-toed her way down the designer clothes and accessories section, lugging a large bag across her petite frame, casually stealing $5,500 worth of merchandise. Hell soon broke loose, as America’s unconventional girl-next-door had inevitably fallen. Her personal life suddenly overshadowed her body of work, seeing as her name became a fixture for tabloids all over the country. Winona was convicted of shoplifting, vandalism, and grand-theft, and sentenced to three years probation, 480 hours of community service, and career death. Released on a $20,000 bail, she packed her bags, and two Oscar nominations, and disappeared into oblivion.
When you take a moment and compare her filmography to other actresses of her generation who went on to win Oscars and enjoy flourishing box office careers, the sting of it all really sinks in. Winona made good movies. Time and time again. Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese personally asked for her. She elevated Tim Burton’s early work, with her performances in Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, films that quite simply would not be the same without her presence. She became a heroine to teens all over the world with Heathers and Mermaids, cult classics in their own right, won over critics with Dracula, The Age Of Innocence and Little Women, spoke to a generation with Reality Bites, and single-handedly created Angelina Jolie with Girl, Interrupted, a film that would not have seen the light of day had it not been for her input and undying faith. Ryder continued to make films over the years, nabbing supporting roles here and there, but nothing was ever the same again.
Then, Stranger Things happened, showing up at Hollywood’s door on Winona’s behalf, like, “Surprise bitch, bet you’d thought you’d seen the last of me.” Undoubtedly Netflix’s biggest hit to date, and with good reason, Stranger Things was binge watched by people all over the world, winning them over with its countless references to the 1980’s, whether it was the clothes, the hair, the music, the John Carpenter inspired score, or the E.T. homages. However, one could easily miss the actual, ultimate throwback of the show: Winona Fucking Ryder. The weird girl that didn’t necessarily fit into any mould, but somehow managed to get out there and compete with the Gwyneth Paltrow’s of the world, playing the kid’s mom.
To readers that didn’t grow up watching Winona’s films, or simply don’t know of her, let me paint you a picture as to how big of a deal this is: Imagine that five years from now, Jennifer Lawrence had suddenly fallen victim to a career-tarnishing scandal, and directors no longer wanted to put her in their movies. Imagine her disappearing; holed up in a mansion somewhere, only coming up for air every now and then to play supporting roles in films where other actresses shined. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, picture her coming back, starring as the lead in the biggest television series of the year… playing the mom. *drops mic* Winona deserves this. Where was Johnny Depp’s hiatus? Casey Affleck’s? Mel Gibson? Mark Wahlberg? Charlie Sheen? There are various male actors who got away with far worse than stealing clothes that they could afford.
After careful deliberation and some soul searching, it all started to make sense to me: I don’t think Winona wants it — the fame, the praise, or the money. She was raised in a creative household. Her parents worked as authors, publishers, editors, and video producers. A creative pair, or hippy intellectuals, as she liked to call them. She grew up listening to Wilco, The Replacements, and The Cocteau Twins. Her favourite actress was Barbara Stanwyck. She stanned J.D. Salinger. She was refreshingly different, and that translated into her roles. Winona was never “Hollywood.” Not even in the slightest bit. She acted because she genuinely loved it. What may seem like a besmirched career is really just an actress that stayed true to herself through and through. She was, and will always be, the effortlessly cool girl at the party. Hollywood didn’t want her anymore, which is fitting, because she was too good for them in the first place. #WinonaForever
