90s nostalgia: the early career of Winona Ryder in photos

Winona Ryder's career took off in the late 1980s with the Tim Burton film 'Beetlejuice' (1988). Since then, she's been a more than familiar name in showbiz.

While being one of the most prominent actresses of the 1990s, Winona Ryder continues to be cast for big projects, such as 'Stranger Things' on Netflix.

The actress has also been involved in some controversies and hardships in her personal life. Let's have a look at the young Winona Ryder and see how she changed over time.

We haven't seen her often as a blonde, like in this photo from 1986 when she was about to break through. The actress was born as Winona Laura Horowitz in Minnesota in October 1971. While making these portraits, she was only 15 years old!

Winona Ryder's parents, Cynthia Palmer and Michael Horowitz, are intellectuals, archivists, and authors. They supported her artistic career from a young age. Even the actress's middle and stage names are references to art!

Her middle name Laura comes from her parents' friendship with Laura Huxley, the musician and author who was married to acclaimed writer Aldous Huxley. As for her stage name, Ryder: Winona's father was a fan of the soul and rock singer, Mitch Ryder. Hence her famous 'surname'.

As a child, Winona was often seen as an effeminate boy and bullied in school. Once she was in high school and gained fame with 'Beetlejuice,' she thought life at school would get a little easier. But she was wrong.

In an interview with Marie Claire in 2017, she said "I remember thinking, 'Ooh, it's like the number-one movie. This is going to make things great at school.' But it made things worse. They called me a witch."

Her acting career had begun when she was 15 years old. Winona Ryder's film debut was the 1986 coming-of-age drama ‘Lucas,' in which she played the role of Rina.

Her role as Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton's dark comedy 'Beetlejuice' (1988) would make Winona Ryder famous. The film's success catapulted her into the limelight and marked the beginning of her remarkable career - in which she would also return to working with Tim Burton.

Another 80s classic was the critically acclaimed teen movie 'Heathers.' Winona Ryder portrayed the complex and rebellious character of Veronica Sawyer, a performance that resonated with audiences and critics.

Throughout the 1990s, Ryder played a number of memorable roles. She starred opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's romantic fantasy 'Edward Scissorhands' (1990), solidifying her status as a go-to actress for unconventional roles.

Winona Ryder (17) and Johnny Depp (25) hit it off on the set of 'Edward Scissorhands' and dated for four years in the early 1990s. They were even engaged for a while. Although the breakup was difficult for her, Winona has had good things to say about Johnny Depp ever since.

When Depp was accused of domestic abuse by his ex Amber Heard, Winona Ryder filed a statement on his behalf. "He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me," she said. "I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man..., and I felt so very, very safe with him."

Another big movie in 1990 was 'Mermaids,' where the actress starred alongside Cher and a very young Christina Ricci. Winona Ryder was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Charlotte Flax, a teenager tired of dealing with her single mother's extravagancies.

Winona Ryder's collaborations with directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese resulted in strong performances in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992) and 'The Age of Innocence' (1993, image).

Her role in 'The Age of Innocence,' alongside the great Daniel Day-Lewis, earned her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe award. She was only 22 years old when the movie came out.

Another iconic role for Winona would come with the adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel 'Little Women.' Her portrayal of the intellectual Jo March garnered widespread praise. Winona Ryder was once again nominated for an Oscar.

Other iconic 90s films with Winona Ryder include 'The House of the Spirits' (image) alongside Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, and Antonio Banderas; 'Reality Bites' with Ben Stiller and a young Renée Zellweger; or the fourth installment of the 'Alien' movie saga.

The psychological thriller 'Girl, Interrupted' was very well received. Winona Ryder co-starred with Angelina Jolie, who would receive the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Meanwhile, the actress went out with famous actors and singers, like Dave Pirner of the band Soul Asylum, known for the hit 'Runaway Train.'

She also dated actor Matt Damon in the late 90s and 2000. They were reportedly brought together by their mutual friend, Gwyneth Paltrow, as The Mirror recalls. The couple broke up in the spring of 2000.

By the late 90s, Winona Ryder was at the top of the world. Once the 2000s came around, though, she faced some personal problems and starred in fewer successful movies than before. It seemed like her star would begin to fade...

In the early 2000s, Ryder faced personal and legal challenges. In December 2001, she was arrested for shoplifting in Beverly Hills. The actress had allegedly stolen over $5,500 worth of merchandise from a high-end department store.

In a trial that was closely followed by the media, she was charged with felony grand theft, burglary, vandalism, and drug possession. The actress claimed it was a misunderstanding. She said she was preparing for a role and was carrying the items without the intention of stealing them.

She was eventually convicted of felony vandalism and grand theft but acquitted of the burglary charge. Winona Ryder received three years of probation, community service, and fines, while also having to attend counseling for psychological problems.

Later, in 2016, the actress would tell Porter magazine about the aftermath of the trial. "I won't get into what happened, but it wasn't what people think," she said. "And it wasn't like the crime of the century!"

Winona Ryder has often talked openly about her struggles with anxiety and depression. As a teenager, she experienced panic attacks and feelings of isolation. Now, an advocate for mental health awareness, she discusses her own hardships to help reduce the stigma surrounding those issues.

Compared to the 90s, Winona Ryder made fewer films in the 2000s. "A lot of people had the perception that I just disappeared in the 2000s," she told Porter magazine. "And I did, but only from that world... I appeared elsewhere, I promise you... It just wasn’t in the public eye."

The films we did see with Winona Ryder were ‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006), 'The Ten' (2007), 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' (2009), and 'Black Swan' (2010).

When she appeared as Joyce Byers in the critically acclaimed Netflix series 'Stranger Things' in 2016, Winona Ryder made her definite comeback in show business. Her portrayal of a determined mother searching for her missing son earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for a Golden Globe.

In the series, she is surrounded by teenagers. Having been a teen actress herself, she likes to mentor her young colleagues. "I’m always telling them, 'The work is the reward!' Because when I was that age, it was so hard to enjoy the fruits of my labor," according to Variety.

Since 2011, Winona Ryder has been in a relationship with fashion designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn. Apart from acting, she likes to get involved in charitable causes such as the American Indian College Fund or fundraisers for cancer research. In addition, the actress has been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights.

With projects like 'Stranger Things,' a 'Beetlejuice' sequel, and the 2023 Disney film 'Haunted Mansion' (alongside Danny De Vito, Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto), it is clear that the 1971-born Winona Ryder is not ready to retire from showbiz yet!