As the final season of Stranger Things comes to a close, the legendary actor calls her longtime friend to discuss intense fandom, aging in Hollywood, and keeping your soul intact. Winona Ryder wears a jacket Givenchy by Sarah Burton.
I was 15 and had just started Rookie, the online magazine for teens. We’d published a tribute on her birthday, and since it’s October 29, it was also an occasion to celebrate her witchiest roles, like in Beetlejuice and Heathers. I hoped Rookie might do for our readers what these characters had done for me: validate their rich inner worlds. Winona didn’t just represent moody teens—she embodied their complexity, beyond the iconic costumes and quotable lines. Her characters were sensitive, perceptive, and always watching.
Winona saw the article and reached out to express her thanks. I got to know her over the next few years and experienced her extraordinary warmth and curiosity. I was struck by her deep love of films, books, and the people who make them. And by her love of sharing this stuff—her touchstones, her memories. She gave me memoirs by Joe Papp and Lee Grant. She gave me a pair of gloves Audrey Hepburn had given her. She knew trivia for every movie that came up in conversation, some filed away from her own encounters with her filmmaking heroes. When I started acting professionally, I could talk to Winona about daunting jobs and experience her generosity anew.
Author’s note: The piece highlights Ryder’s warmth, curiosity, and generosity, and the author’s evolving relationship with her as both a mentor and lifelong collaborator.
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