Winona Ryder covers the latest issue of The Edit. I love the cover, but I hate the photo of Winona in bed (at the end of the post). That bed photo brings up a question I’ve had about Winona for years: she got some work done at some point, correct? I feel like we already established that she got an eye job or some kind of eye work several years back. I bring this up because Winona claims that she “loves” getting older, and she pretty much says that she hasn’t had anything done. Although we could probably parse that quote pretty hard. You can read the full Edit piece here, and here are some highlights:
On fame: “Socially, I had a tough time at school; I was shy and different looking. It got so bad that in 7th grade I was homeschooled. When Beetlejuice came out and was a big hit, I thought, this will help me. [But then] people called me ‘witch’. But you know that thing, when you make one great friend, that can save you? Someone saved me.”
Jodie Foster’s advice: “In my first apartment in LA, Jodie Foster lived upstairs, and we’d do laundry together. She’s so smart. She told me to resist doing things that other people say you should do. Don’t be ‘strategic’! I was up for this movie, Mobsters, and everyone said I should do it. But Jodie said, ‘You have to feel very connected to something before you do it.’ So I turned it down. And it was a flop!”
Getting a real life: “It’s interesting: you can go through good times and bad times, but if you’re still working, people see you in a certain way. I was working a lot [in the ’90s] and I needed to slow down. It’s so important to have a life outside the industry, to not look to it to validate you as a human being. A lot of people had the perception that I just disappeared in the 2000s. And I did, but only from that world. I appeared elsewhere, I promise you. I was transformed into doing stuff I really wanted to do – it was a great awakening. It just wasn’t in the public eye.”
She loves getting older: “I love getting older. I think it has to do with always being the kid on set. It’s interesting because, these days, [cosmetic surgery] is treated almost like hygiene. I’ve had people say to me, ‘Oh, you should, you know…’ and they point to my forehead. ‘Get that seen to!’ But I’m like, ‘No! I’ve been waiting so long for that to happen!’”
She doesn’t see casting-ageism as a bad thing: “I know actresses have a tough time because of their age – they’re just not getting hired. I know it exists. You’re the girlfriend, then you’re the mother. But I don’t see it as a bad thing – it can be just as interesting, if not more so, than the leading-lady, ingénue phase.”
Serial monogamy: “I’m a serial monogamist. I was single for a while and dating and…I just didn’t know how to do it! I’ve always been like that: when I was 15, there was a guy I liked, and we made out, and I thought that meant he was my boyfriend. My mom had to explain it to me. But marriage? I don’t know. I’d rather never have been married than been divorced a few times. Not that there’s anything wrong with divorce, but I don’t think I could do it if that was a possibility. When your parents are madly in love for 45 years, your standards are really high. But I’ve been happily with someone for quite a while now.”
On social media: “I’m not on [social media]. I’m very private so I can’t imagine what I’d want to share with the world. I can’t even take selfies; I literally just learned about the button that makes the screen flip. I think [social media] is a bit dangerous, in terms of self-obsession. It’s so important to look outward.”
“But I don’t see it as a bad thing – it can be just as interesting, if not more so, than the leading-lady, ingénue phase…” I understand that she’s trying to make lemonade out of ageism lemons, but I do think she could have explained her point more: there are interesting characters for women of all ages and actresses shouldn’t be afraid to move from leading lady to character actress. That being said, there is a steep drop-off in roles for women past a certain age, especially in film. Which is probably why 44-year-old Winona is doing a Netflix series now.
Photos courtesy of The Edit.
I absolutely love Winona and I am so happy that she is back in the acting world….I am watching ‘Stranger Things’ specifically for her and she is fantastic. I don’t think doing a Netflix show is a step down as the last sentence suggests…I just think TV is a much better forum now for really good acting 🙂
It’s the Golden Age of television and Netflix provides actors with shows that are both interesting, acclaimed and well received by the public / critics. The dig was unnecessary. She’s not doing a Bravo show.
There is so much GREAT tv being made right now. I can’t think of the last time I said that about movies in general.
Agreed! TV is so much better than movies these days. And I’m always happy to see Winona on screen, big or small. She is great!
I agree…I think the original programming on Netflix is WAY BETTER than a LOT of the crap that you’ll see on Network TV…hell, it’s better than a LOT of the crap that hollywood is putting out. good stories and not just explosions and special effects, good characters, really good acting, good writing…it’s all there.
and Stranger Things is pretty good so far (no spoilers please, I’m only a couple episodes in!); it’s got a real Stephen King/80s horror movie vibes…parts remind me of John Carpenter, too.
Hey don’t criticize Netflix I love Netflix..except for their contract with Adam Sandler..they have fabulous programming I started watching Stranger Things Sunday at 3:30 pm and ended at 12:30 am — Cable has better programming then the networks – if I didn’t watch the news and HGTV I would cancel my cable service…I adore Frankie and Grace, Happy Valley, Bloodline..etc..and I just bought a Crave membership to watch Billions..
I wasn’t criticizing Netflix…
???
IMO, movies are crap these days. The best stuff is happening on TV right now.
Totally agree. Movies are the same crap over and over and getting more and more expensive. TV shows are getting cheaper and better.
Yeah Netflix has fantastic shows and Stranger Things is great! When looking at her I don’t see that she has had any plastic surgery. She looks awesome and like she is naturally aging.
What all of you said x 10. There’s so much good programming on Netflix, HBO, Starz, etc., while mainstream movies are hit and miss.
And add me to the list of Winona lovers. I find it hard to believe anyone found her different looking. She’s always been gorgeous.
Yeah that last sentence was harsh. My husband and I watched the whole 1st series of Stranger Things this past weekend, and it was fantastic! Winona was really good in it too. Thoroughly enjoyable series, I recommend it to anyone.
I always liked her. Her world would have been much different had she done Godfather III. She went a little wackers when she was caught stealing what she obviously could afford. Ah, I think she has a pretty face and Heathers made me love her…..spaghetti with extra oregano.
I LOVE HEATHERS. I could quote all day long…
“you know what I need?…cool guys like you out of my life.”
(my fave, which I use ALL THE TIME for clueless people…”call me when the shuttle lands.”)
Right. What’s your damage Heather? My teen angst now has a body count…..lol….the movie was perfection. Loved Veronica, JD was crazy but Christian Slater did his best Jack and the birth of Brenda Walsh…classic
“I just killed my best friend!”
“and your worst enemy.”
“same difference!”
She would have been far better than Sofia Coppola.
That on screen relationship with cousin Andy Garcia was awkward and yuck!
Ryder would have been more believable.
She was supposed to play Mary then at the last minute got sick and had to pull out. Casting Sofia ruined the trilogy. Winona would have been perfect but fate had different plans.
Apparently Francis Coppola had a hard time shooting “love scenes” between Garcia and his daughter, so there was awkwardness coming from all directions.
I actually really love the bed photo. All my selfies (where I truly never take the photo) look better when everything’s “pulled back.” 😉
I’m glad she’s doing well. She never seemed like a cold-hearted Hollywood type. Just an actress.
I like the bed photo too although I didn’t recognize her at first in that front cover pic. She has always been a favorite of mine so glad to see her back doing movies and TV.
the bed pic looks great -she looks so young and natural there. the cover pic is where her crazy eyes are showing…
I binge watched stranger things all for winona, it was an AWSOME SHOW!
I binge watched it too, but not all for her though she had some great performances in it. The one who really impressed me was Mollie Brown.
Mollie Bobbie Brown was incredible..terrific actress. I hope there is another season of Stranger Things..I began watching because of an review I read earlier and was more interested in Winona – but Mollie Brown kept me glued to the screen. So much talent for such a young girl…
Jeeeez…Millie Bobby Brown!
You really should know this 😉
She’s Millie Bobby Brown (for those of us who just tried to Google who you were talking about.) 🙂
She’s been sitting around waiting to get old? Is this woman stupid? I swear, people will say anything to get their name in print.
The way she worded that statement is pretty funny. I suspect she meant that she enjoys being treated as a grown woman rather than as a woman-child (which is kind of how she was seen in the 90s) but I’ve never heard anyone say they can’t wait to get old (like past 35, I mean). Sure, I could see someone saying they can’t wait to be 25, but beyond that, I’m not sure.
Idk. I’ve always wanted to be older. In my late 30s, I’m still excited to be 50.
Ha! You won’t be once the hot flashes hit!!
But seriously, there is a delicious sort of “no f&*ks to give” thing that happens which is all kinds of wonderful, so it balances out, it seems!
Growing old is overrated. If I were you I’d enjoy being in my late thirties.
@notsosocial – I’m in early menopause (have been for 5 years) so I know all about the inner furnace, lol!
@Annetommy Compared to the alternative growing old isn’t overrated.
It’s overrated compared to being young, despite what Onerous said above. There are undoubtedly some benefits to ageing, and it’s certainly not all bad, but I think they are outweighed by the downside (which in my case includes the salt and pepper hair referred to by Elle- urgh). A lot of how you feel depends on your health and wealth of course. It is indeed better than not growing old at all. I suppose the important thing to do is to make the most of it whatever age you are.
I’m turning sixty and there are lots of great things about it, but don’t wish your life away. There are many hard things about getting older, too.
I don’t want to deal with the health issues of getting older. Or other people’s health issues and the stress of seeing them in pain (i.e friends and family). The level of responsibility also increases with age. Teenage-hood is filled with insecurity, but the level of responsibility to shoulder in youth is certainly a lot less.
Then there’s vanity….I think you can still look very beautiful as you get older, but listening to people like Kristen Scott-Thomas talk about the disadvantages of getting older can be depressing. I think Winona Ryder’s statement is a bit disingenuous considering she’s in the most vain industry on the planet.
50 is cool.
I tried to explain it to my 20- something neices as “yaknow when you’re driving down the highway, no traffic, car top down, favorite song on the radio, going someplace great? At 50, it’s a 100x better, but I don’t know why.”
Maybe because the car is paid for? Maybe because I listen to the song I found and like, & fck everyone else? Maybe I’m not worried about mascara getting in my eye?
I have no idea- but 50 is so much better than 20, or even 30.
But other posters are right- you have to make the most of whatever age you are, that’s why I re-iterate this to my neices. If you wish your life away, there will be no coasting down the pike at 50.
My mother would say, I’d only want to be younger if I knew what I know now (50s-older). As 50 is around the corner, I better understand what she meant.
As others have said, enjoy whatever age you are. Make the best of it. When you start losing friends and loved ones, it becomes clearer that life is truly short. Some of the things we fret about are small stuff in the scheme of things. It’s easy to miss “smelling the roses” when you’re rushing through life.
I understand what she’s saying. I’ve been waiting for gray hair since I was 30. I love salt-and-pepper hair on women. I also get less harassment from men as I get older; I love that.
I can’t say that I”m excited to watch my skin get crepey and all the good stuff that I’m now experiencing at 49 – but I am “excited to get old” – my mother was diagnosed with cancer at 49 and was dead by 51. It’s all about the perspective.
I am majorly side-eyeing her for that statement…
Me too, no Woman i know in the 30’s or 40’s i know thinks it is great getting older, the society don’t think so, and Woman in their 40’s are rather invisible.
And we are talking from Hollywierd, that’s a really wierd statement, i don’t believe.
pfffft….speak for yourself. I’m 47 and I still turn heads and I love my age. I think she simply meant she gets more respect now, she’s wise and better with herself. We all feel that way when we get older and it is great. I don’t feel invisible at all. I can’t say I couldn’t wait to get older, but I sure don’t resent getting older. By then, you’ve learned not to let the small stuff bother you, and you have an inner peace you wish you’d had all your life. And again, I’m not invisible. I didn’t like that – can you tell?
I’m in my mid 40s and you could not pay me to revisit my youth. My friends in their 40s are the most attractive and sexiest they have ever been – and I know women in their 60s who just got better with age. I will take wisdom over youth any day – and while exercise is more of a requirement now than before, with some commitment, the body can still look pretty good.
I think saying you don’t resent getting older makes more sense than saying you’ve been waiting for so long to get older. Maybe she has no anxiety around getting older since she got her career at such a young age though — I suppose that could alleviate the nervousness around age. She’s accomplished what she wanted to do so I assume worries around age could be less because of that. I wonder if she really is more respected with age though — everyone I know thinks of her as the really pretty shoplifter. Neither youth nor age can really erase the fact that she stole really expensive stuff from a stuff for no discernible reason.
I think I find it believable someone might want to get older and not mind being 50 or 60 because of the wealth of experience and wisdom you gain. However, I have a hard time believing anybody would want to LOOK older, which is how she makes it sound. I’ve never heard anyone say the latter (i.e “yay, lines on my forehead!”).
I’m 45 and love it! I still look great, have more confidence than ever, and I do what the hell I want. My child is grown, my career is solid and enjoyable, I’m taken seriously, but I can still have fun. There’s a lot to love about getting older. Bring on 50, I say!
Yes, saying she’s been *waiting* to look old is such an ingenious, absurd, dishonest statement. That doesn’t surprise me, though, b/c I find a lot of what Winona says to be really inauthentic. And she *has* had fillers and cosmetic surgery–her eyes lifted, for one, and certainly Botox. She is an insipid little liar. Never got the public affection for her. The only roles she was fairly ok in were ones in which she had the acting aid of narrating a character’s viewpoints and thoughts aloud, so she didn’t have to rely so much on conveying more complex emotions w her face, In general, imo, she’s a mediocre actress who was somewhat good only as a teenager and outgrew her age niche a long, long time ago. Was never sorry to see her obsolete.
@ caitlinK, so true!
…and all the allegedly hot 40 somethings here (who are of course only befriended with other hot women in their 40’s…), well i don’t want to burst you little Bubble…
I’m not a middleaged Woman who is desperately trying to convince being sexy and hot and still turning heads, grow up, life is about more than that, you should know that at your age.
I hope i’m not that superficial, when i’m at your age….
It was worded awkwardly, as is Winona’s way, but I think she meant that she’s happy to be out of the waif-ingenue phase of her career.
Stranger Things was amazing!
It was kinda weird seeing Ryder as a mom in something, but her performance was great and the entire series was really well done IMO.
I love her. And I like what she said about marriage!
I love me some Winona but….I’m watching her Netflix show right now and she’s not so good. IMHO she’s overacting. Really hysterical in every scene. I understand her character is a mom who’s son is missing so some hysterics are to be expected. But so far, that’s all she’s bringing to the role. In every scene so far. I know she’s capable of playing more than one dimension but I’m only 2 episodes in so maybe she will get better.
I didn’t think she was overacting at all. She reminded me of my mom, who can be hysterical, obnoxious, pushy, and loud, but is also very passionate and determined. You’ll see other sides of her later on.
Nameless, I sure hope so. I know she has those sides in her acting chops. Like I said, I sure do love her and I’m rooting for this show to do well for her. But 2 episodes in and I’m exhausted every time she’s on screen. I do intend to watch the whole series though, so we’ll see.
Thank you, i thought that too, very overacted and not really natural, i was irritated bc i expected more from her….and i saw all 8 Episodes….
The Show ST is great, esp. the Kids, and the really gifted Millie Bobby Brown, what a Talent.
Oh man I felt like I was the only one. I thought everyone aside from the chief and the little girl was overacting. The writing was schlocky, which I get because this series was an 80’s movie homage, but it started to grate on me by episode 5. I enjoyed it to a degree, but I was happy when it was over.I am all for nostalgia but after a while the lack of ethnic diversity just got on my nerves and turned me off. It also was annoying that when involving ethnic people it was done in a generic and stereotypical fashion ( which yes was how it was done in the 80’s) but still it didn’t sit well.
I want Winona to have another series, one with better writing and a more diverse world.
@ Scotchy, you have a point.
Well.. She reminded me of my sister- and the charactor had a history of anxiety attacks.
She played a divorced woman trying to get her sh!t together, but, to get herself together, there must be a falling apart. Note that she kinda depended on men to help her.
The movie was as much about her gaining a foothold as it was about the crew cut chick getting a foothold.
My sister was the princess, and was protected all her life from the slightest bump. There’s chicks like that out there. I just took her charator to be someone who had her life mapped out in a superficial 80’s teen movie way, and when crap got real, didn’t know quite how to handle it.
The film takes place in Indiana, we are rife with cornfield princesses in the Midwest. We’ve got these histrionic dames in spades
She’s so pretty. Weird, but pretty.
She still sounds very young and immature for forty four. You’ve been waiting for “that” to happen? Uh huh.
Yes. Agreed. Reminds me of that Jason Bateman comment that “the age at which you become famous is the age at which you are emotionally frozen.”
I agree wholeheartedly. I think Winona’s immaturity comes from being considered the delicate, doe-eyed ingenue for so many years. She isn’t “that girl” anymore, but she hasn’t quite figured out how to move on from it. But who knows? Maybe saying she loves being older is her way of trying to move on.
She’s gorgeous, whatever she may or may not have had done. I don’t feel like we can use ‘doing a Netflix series’ as some sort of insult because they (and Amazon) have been making real inroads into TV and film and there are some great roles to be found there. I’ll have to check her show out.
I absolutely agree. The mainstream film industry is currently very low on quality productions. All the money is being put in franchises and megahit blockbusters, which I enjoy, but I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve watched a truly memorable and cerebral piece (from Hollywood). TV and online services like those are producing works of very high quality. Winona has nothing to be ashamed of..
I love Winona Ryder. She is a fantastic actress. I am happy for her. Definitely going to watch this series! Just thinking about all the great movies she has been in…The Age of Innocence, Heathers, Girl Interrupted, Reality Bites, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Mermaids, Little Women, How to Make an American Quilt…
Yes to this!
I binged Stranger Things this weekend. It was great! She did a really good job — great role for her.
I enjoyed reading this, reminds me again why I loved her back in the day. She seems remarkably normal considering her industry and the tough times she seemed to go through for a while. I’m glad she’s got a new show. Count me in among the people who think Netflix is really delivering some quality shows *cough Bloodline cough* 🙂
That one is next on my list.
It’s so crazy compelling…the setting alone is worth the watch. And I just stumbled into it one day. Enjoy!
Loooooove Bloodline 🙂
I think she has really aged well. Still very pretty.
Serial monogamist. Back when she was very popular, how many boyfriends of hers had girlfriends or fiancees the week before they started dating? Dave Pirner, Matt Damon – pretty sure there are more. Obviously the guy bears even more responsibility to his relationship, not to cheat, but it was such a pattern with her that it made her seem ultra sleazy.
Like everyone else said, I love Winona! She was great in her small role as Spock’s mom in the Star Trek reboot, and I think she’s doing a great job as a scrappy working class mom in Stranger Things. That scene where she had to beg her boss for a telephone? Awesome.
I don’t recall any rumors of eye work. She’s always had those big ginormous eyes, which do give her a kind of childlike, waif-ish quality.
I meanly immediately thought that this interview and cover was in pay back for her publkic support of Johnny Depp
She’s so pretty, she has the crazy-eyes in that cover shot though!
I’ve always loved her eyes and eyebrows. But I agree – she looks slightly deranged on the cover.
yeah I imagine that magazine on my bedside table, then getting up in the night, and getting startled 🙂 I also love her eyes (usually),!
Love her but Natalie Portman is so morphing into her, esp with recent photos of NP.
I think Winona is prettier than Natalie now. Maybe Winona looks pleasant whereas Natalie always looks like she’s smelling a bad odour?
😀
She looks lovely, but I don’t get her comments about not getting anything done. She’s clearly had her eyes done.
…and the Nose-Job when she was still a Teen….. so they all lie in HW, i like her anyway 😉
She don’t have to admit it….
I love Winona Ryder and I binged on the whole season, buuuut I didn’t think she was that great actually. Too much arms waving around to emphasize her lines and I just didn’t buy her as a mother. I get the character was a desperate mother searching for her son, but most of the time, I thought she just didn`t do it right; her performance grated on me everytime. The rest of the cast is great. Although I didn`t really buy Modine either, but he wasn`t around much.
100+
…i didn’t found Modine creepy, but he played a creep, so maybe the 2 Season gets better, the Show is great!
Yeah, I mean, I enjoyed the show; despite a few drawbacks, I thought it was worth watching. For me, the kids’ and sheriff’s performances stood out and I kind of hope the next season takes the Sheriff on a journey. I just don’t want to drink the kool-aid about how great and wonderful it is!
I’m kind of on the fence about what the ending meant though (for two of the characters in particular) and what could happen for the next season. I don’t want to spoil anything. If it means one thing, then I don’t know how they can continue unless they just start over fresh like that other show, AMerican Hotel or whatever. Or..I don’t know, maybe it could work. If it means another thing…potentially interesting to consider after-effects.
@ d, absolutely, isn’t Millie a great Talent? Wow.
…you are right, i want to know the Sherrif better, he is an interesting character.
Seriously – Winona has been giving the same interview since she was a kid. I just read another interview where she brings up reading Catcher in the Rye – AGAIN. I think she has a complex about not going to college or something.
She was at the College….. but i think she is trying to remember the people for the “intelligent Girl” narrative, gets boring at some point.
She is a middle aged Woman, she should be more adult now.
I love Winona but I couldn’t get past the first episode of her show. I didn’t mind her that much, but it was so boring and unoriginal. It could’ve been a decent movie, but I don’t find the story interesting enough for a whole series. I stopped caring very quick.
I have always thought Winona Ryder is an extremely interesting person and a very so so actress. She has done a lot of Oscar baity movies and in most of them she was quite unmemorable: Girl Interrupted, The Crucible, How to Make an American Quilt, House of the Spirits, etc. But she is a so so actress who usually has a great supporting cast around her which helps. She is better in Black Swan than Natalie Portman is for sure but Natalie hustled for her Oscar and got it.
+100
Have always loved Winona but she comes across so young and immature in this interview. That line about older women being able to playmore interesting roles cowardly ignores so many issues that this presents for women. It comes down to being able to make a living and providing for your family.
I had never heard rumors that she’d had an eye job but the tip of her nose is definitely much more refined than in her younger years. I think this makes eyes look even bigger. Still so beautiful.
it’s well known that she had a Nose Job in her late Teens, so you have good eyes 🙂
But it’s a good job, she looks still like herself.
She’s always been endearing and exasperating to me at the same time. I think she’s a good person with a lot of neuroses.
I don’t think she’s had any work done. I’ve been watching Stranger Things, and while I know she’s kind of “dressed down” to play the part of a small-town working-class woman (i.e., isn’t wearing much make-up), she definitely looks 44 to me, with forehead lines and bags under her eyes.
I think it’s easy to forget that even when we see actresses on red carpets — not just in magazine photos — they’ve got so much make-up on, and are under such flattering lighting, that they look a lot “younger” than they do in real life. Sometimes I’m shocked by how great I look in a photo when I’m all dolled up for a party or something, because I see myself in the mirror every morning, and I know how my face is aging!