Below is a compiled list of the most interesting facts about Winona Ryder. Check it out!
Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz in Olmsted County, Minnesota, and was named after a nearby town, Winona, Minnesota. She is the daughter of Cynthia (Istas), an author and video producer, and Michael Horowitz, a publisher and bookseller. Her father’s family is Russian Jewish and Romanian Jewish. She grew up in a ranch commune in Northern California which had no electricity. She is the goddaughter of Timothy Leary. Her parents were friends of Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and once edited a book called “Shaman Woman Mainline Lady”, an anthology of writings on the drug experience in literature, which included one piece by Louisa May Alcott. Ryder would later play the lead role of Josephine March in the adaptation of this author’s novel Little Women (1994).
Interesting Facts about Winona Ryder
- In 1995, she made yet another significant artistic departure, recording a spoken word reading of the famous diary of Anne Frank, for which she received a Grammy nomination. Winona became one of the few non-musicians to have been nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy for different projects.
- First auditioned for the role of Blanca in The House of the Spirits (1993) when she was age 16, but the role went to Pernilla August. The film took years to get made, and when it finally did, August had to drop out at the last minute because of pregnancy, and Winona replaced her.
- Took her last name “Ryder” from singer Mitch Ryder of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. She saw one of his albums in her father’s record collection.
- The first house she bought was in the Hollywood Hills. She soon moved, saying she never fitted in.
- Her name is very much the same as her birthplace.
- She turned down the role of Katrina in Sleepy Hollow (1999), which went to Christina Ricci.
- Was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998.
- She owns some of Hollywood’s stars’ most priceless possessions (Louis Armstrong’s bongo drums among others). She also has a collection of vintage Hollywood costumes, including Russ Tamblyn’s jacket from West Side Story (1961), Leslie Caron’s dress from An American in Paris (1951), Claudette Colbert’s gown from It Happened One Night (1934), Olivia de Havilland’s blouse from Gone with the Wind (1939), and Sandra Dee’s bikini from the “Tammy movies”.
- Had such a tremendous impact over the course of those two decades, but in school, she was far from “icon status.” After starring in Beetlejuice, the bullying and torment only multiplied.
- Suffers from insomnia. She allegedly has had a habit of talking on the phone with actor Al Pacino, who also suffers from insomnia.
- In 2009, on Paramount Pictures’ website with “For Your Consideration” banners for award season, they featured one for Winona’s performance in Star Trek (2009) despite her limited screen time.
- Dated Johnny Depp for many years. He had a tattoo of her name and after they broke up, he had it reduced to “Wino forever”.
Personal Quotes by Winona Ryder
Weird people follow you in the streets, you can’t sit alone in a restaurant or a cafe and read a book in peace, and I think everybody values those moments of being alone.
Winona Ryder
When you finally accept that it’s OK not to have answers and it’s OK not to be perfect, you realize that feeling confused is a normal part of what it is to be a human being.
Winona Ryder
I went from weirdo teenager to pixie waif to them not knowing what the hell to do with me.
Winona Ryder
The Duffers can be super articulate or very straight to the point. I was really impressed with how they were with each other.
Winona Ryder
Remember, I’m the kind of kid who used to get stuffed into a locker by school bullies. I’ve never felt like I’m a big star at any level of my life.
Winona Ryder
