Stepping into Winona Ryder’s Beverly Hills home, one is immediately struck by a sense of laid-back California charm. It’s a place where the boundaries between art and life blur, filled with mementos from her storied career and personal treasures that whisper tales of a life lived on and off the screen. She’s wearing a red-and-white Who T-shirt, turquoise skirt, and her trademark dark brown hair pulled back with a black headband. Her eyes, those impossibly large, luminous brown eyes, hold a certain wisdom that belies her 28 years. She’s not one for typical Hollywood extravagance. Her house, a two-story Spanish villa, boasts a pool, a red brick patio, and an invitingly messy table that serves as her de facto office. She shares this home with her roommate of six years, Brett Brooks, and her younger brother, Uri, creating a cozy and eclectic family unit.
Winona’s home is a veritable museum of her life. It’s filled with cherished objects: a framed photo of herself with her hero Tom Waits, a bronze statue from ‘Alien: Resurrection,’ a signed page of her narration from ‘Heathers,’ and even a Polaroid of her with Glenn Close and Meryl Streep from ‘The House of the Spirits.’ These artifacts serve as tangible reminders of the extraordinary journey she’s undertaken, a journey that has seen her evolve from a precocious child star to a critically acclaimed actress.
Winona’s perspective on fame is refreshingly unpretentious. She avoids late-night talk shows, fashion shows, and autograph signings. She’s a creature of habit, doing her own hair and makeup for premieres, fiercely protective of her privacy, and deeply averse to gossip. She’s also a woman who embraces her inner contradictions. She may be a self-proclaimed “insomniac” who treasures a vintage Tiffany locket and a framed picture of a teenage Winona giving the finger, but she also possesses an inner strength that has seen her navigate the choppy waters of Hollywood with grace and dignity.
Winona’s relationship with film is a complex one. It’s a world she’s known since she was a child, a world that has shaped her life and her career. She’s passionate about film, devouring movies at a relentless pace. She’s seen it all, from the classics to the cheesy 80s teen movies, and she’s not afraid to speak her mind about the films she loves and the ones she doesn’t.
“I’m at the point where I’ve seen every movie in the video store,” she says, “and I’m not kidding. I can’t find a movie that I haven’t seen—except the really cheesy ’80s teen movies.”
Her career has seen its share of highs and lows, but she’s never been one to shy away from taking risks. She’s been praised for her ability to choose roles that defy categorization, roles that are both dark and whimsical, and she’s not afraid to turn down projects that don’t feel authentic to her.
“The stuff I was being offered was like: The Rookie Cop!” she says, laughing. “And I was just, like, ‘I’m not The Rookie Cop. I can’t be The Rookie Cop.’ Or this whole craze of super violent independent movies that I thought were ridiculous. They were just excuses to show the most disgusting images and people shooting up, and I was just so repelled by them.”
This unwavering commitment to authenticity is what led her to ‘Girl, Interrupted,’ a film that promises to be a turning point in her career. The film, based on Susanna Kaysen’s memoir, chronicles her experience as a young woman confined to a psychiatric hospital in the late 1960s. Winona’s connection to the material is deeply personal. She’s experienced her own struggles with mental health and understands the vulnerability and resilience of Kaysen’s story.
“I read that book when I was 21 and freaked,” says Ryder. “It was like, ‘Oh, my God, my whole life I’ve tried to say that and I’ve never been able to.”
Winona poured her heart and soul into the film, working closely with director James Mangold to create a raw and powerful performance. The film marks a significant departure for Winona, allowing her to shed the image of the doe-eyed ingenue and embrace the complexities of a woman grappling with her inner demons.
“She’s phenomenal in it,” says Mangold. “She reaches farther than she’s reached in other pictures. But she also carries with her the strength we know and love.”
‘Girl, Interrupted’ is a testament to Winona Ryder’s evolution as an artist. It’s a film that promises to redefine her career and showcase her remarkable talent in a new light. It’s a film that speaks to her journey of self-discovery, a journey that has seen her embrace her complexities and emerge as a woman ready to take on the world.
Winona Ryder may have once been known for her big brown eyes, but she’s now ready to be seen for who she truly is: a woman of depth, resilience, and unwavering authenticity. The girl with the big brown eyes has grown up. And the world is ready to see her shine.
