Winona Laura Horowitz was born on October 29, 1971, in Winona, Minnesota. Because of her parents’ strong friendship with writer Aldous Huxley’s wife Laura, she was given her middle name. Mitch Ryder, a soul and rock singer, inspired her stage name. The director asked her how she wanted her name to appear in her debut film when she was cast. With a Mitch Ryder album playing in the background and her father being a major admirer, she soon coined the moniker Ryder.
Ryder’s family relocated to Rainbow, a commune outside Elk, California, when he was seven years old. They shared a secluded property with seven other households with no electricity. Ryder began reading voraciously at the encouragement of her parents, who were both writers and editors with a long list of notable literary acquaintances, and devoured works such as J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.”
The family relocated to Petaluma, California after three years. Throughout junior high and high school, Ryder was bullied a lot. She enrolled in acting classes at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. She nearly drowned when she was 12 years old, which caused her to acquire severe aquaphobia (which would haunt her later in life when she starred in “Alien Ressurection” and had to do scenes in the water).
Beginnings of a Career
Winona Ryder made her acting debut opposite Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen in the 1986 comedy “Lucas.” Her second picture, “Square Dance,” was released in 1987, and the Los Angeles Times, among other critics, praised her performance. Her performance as goth adolescent Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” gained her critical and financial acclaim. T
he film “Beetlejuice” was a box office hit and earned excellent reviews. Winona was still in high school at the time, and the bullying she was subjected to further intensified as kids teased her about being a “witch.” Following that, Ryder won a prominent part in the 1988 film “Heathers.” The picture underperformed at the box office, but it was a fan favorite, and it went on to become a cult classic.
90s
Winona teamed with Tim Burton again in 1990, when she starred alongside Johnny Depp in the fantasy thriller “Edward Scissorhands.” This was her biggest box office hit yet, grossing $86 million and receiving critical acclaim. Later that year, Ryder landed her tenth part, co-starring Cher in the comedy-drama “Mermaids.” The next year, Ryder co-starred with Daniel Day-Lewis in Martin Scorsese’s “The Age of Innocence.” Her portrayal earned her a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress and an Oscar nomination in the same category. Ryder was set to star in “Broken Dreams” alongside actor River Phoenix, but the project was put on hold after his untimely death.
Starting with the release of Ryder’s next picture, Ben Stiller’s Generation X thriller “Reality Bites,” Winona had a great year in 1994. Her starring part earned her a lot of praise from critics, but the movie didn’t make a lot of money. Ryder got further recognition in 1994 when she starred as Josephine March in “Little Women.” Her performance earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. “How to Make an American Quilt,” a 1995 film, was her next leading role.
Ryder starred alongside Sigourney Weaver in the 1997 film “Alien Resurrection.” Despite being the least successful in the “Alien” franchise, the picture grossed $161 million worldwide and received excellent reviews. Along with Angelina Jolie and Whoopi Goldberg, Ryder appeared in and executive produced “Girl, Interrupted” in 1999.
The New Millennium and Beyond
Following a highly publicized shoplifting incident in 2001, Ryder took a five-year acting break. She has completed two films prior to her hiatus: Adam Sandler’s “Mr. Deeds” and the science-fiction drama “Simone.” Following her sabbatical, she starred in Richard Linklater’s “A Scanner Darkly” in 2006, “Sex and Death 101” in 2007, “Top Ten” in 2008, and “The Last Word” in 2009. She starred in “The Informers” and “Star Trek” in 2009. During this time, she kept a low profile, appearing in modest indie films and avoiding public appearances.
Ryder had a spectacular comeback in 2016 when she started acting in the Duffer Brothers’ horror thriller “Stranger Things” on Netflix. Joyce Byers, a single mother whose 12-year-old daughter unexpectedly vanishes, is played by her. She went on to star in seasons 2 and 3 of the show, and season 4 is in the works. Ryder appeared in HBO’s limited series “The Plot Against America” in 2020.
Salary for Stranger Things
For the first two seasons of “Stranger Things,” Winona made $100,000 per episode. During this time, there were 17 episodes, totaling around $1.7 million for the two seasons. Winona received a rise to $350,000 each episode beginning with the third season. For the third season, that amounted to roughly $3 million.
Accolades
Winona has received numerous awards and accolades for her work in a variety of roles, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination in the same category for her portrayal in Martin Scorsese’s “The Age of Innocence” in 1993. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as tomboyish Jo in the 1994 film “Little Women.” Ryder received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, in 2010. “Stranger Things” earned Ryder a Golden Globe nomination in 2016. She has also received four Screen Actors Guild nominations.
Personal Experiences
Ryder has had a string of high-profile relationships during his career. From 1990 to 1993, Ryder was engaged to Johnny Depp. She dated guitarist Dave Pirner after they broke up. In the late 1990s, she dated Matt Damon for a few years. She has been in a relationship with Scott Mackinlay Hahn since 2011.
Incident of Shoplifting
Ryder was arrested for shoplifting in a Saks Fifth Avenue department store in Beverly Hills, California, in December 2001. She was accused of stealing expensive garments and accessories worth $5,500. She was accused of committing three felonies: grand theft, shoplifting, and vandalism. She received three years of probation, 480 hours of community service, penalties, and restitution to the department store in 2002.
In June 2004, the felonies were downgraded to misdemeanors. In interviews, Ryder has stated that the incident occurred during a difficult period in her life when she was profoundly depressed and that her actions were influenced by extensive painkiller usage, which made her judgment shaky. The Medical Board of California has since revoked the physician’s medical license for prescribing her opioid dosage.
Estimated Net Worth
Winona Ryder’s net worth is predicted to be $18 million as of May 2022, based on her achievements and assets.
Real Estate
Winona paid $1.3 million for a property in her hometown of San Francisco in 1995. She plans to sell this home for $5 million in November 2020. Winona rented the house for $15,000 per month for about a year before selling it for sale.
Winona bought a 1936 Spanish-style mansion in Los Angeles for $2.6 million in 1998. In 2010, she sold the house for $4.1 million. She had sold a $2.2 million apartment in New York City two years prior.
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Winona may still have a home in Hollywood, a Beverly Hills home, and a New York City apartment.
