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Actress, Producer
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Birth name: Winona Laura Horowitz (nickname "Noni")
Date of birth: October 29th, 1971
Winona, Minnesota, USA
She was named after the town she was born in by her hippy parents Cindy and Michael.
She grew up in a ranch commune in Northern California where there was no electricity. She is the Goddaughter of Timothy Leary and 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 - this included one piece by Louisa May Alcott. Winona Ryder was later to star as Jo in this author's Little Women (1994). She moved with her parents to Petaluma (near San Francisco) when she was ten and enrolled in acting classes at the American Conservatory Theater.
Her parents were more involved with political activism at the height of the hippy movement than they were with drugs. This is not to say that they were completely divorced from the hallucinogenic side of the life. Her godfather was Dr. Timothy Leary, the L.S.D. guru who was influential in the drug counter-culture. Her father worked intimately with Leary, and for a time he ran a bookstore called "Flashback Books."
They were more interested in protesting Agent Orange than in preaching the benefits of mind alteration, however. Winona grew up in this atmosphere, sometimes living on electricity-free compounds. When she was eight, her parents moved back to the city. During her first week at the new school, the tom-boyish waif was jumped by a group of boys who mistook her for a gay boy rather than a girl. This pummeling resulted in something good. After some time spent learning at home, she was enrolled in the prestigious American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. It was while performing onstage at the Conservatory that she was discovered. Winona auditioned for the role of John Voight's daughter in Desert Bloom. She didn't get the part, but she got representation in the form of Triad Artists after they saw her tape.
Triad soon lined her up for her first role in Lucas. The movie wasn't great but Winona's solid performance provided her a springboard into further films. It was also at this point that Winona Horowitz became Winona Ryder for the first time. When asked how she would like her name to appear in the credits, she chose the name Ryder from Mitch Ryder, who was one of her father's favorite musicians.
She followed Lucas with a string of decent but unmemorable movies. Then came her big break. She appeared in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice. Her role as the black-clothed, angst-ridden teenager captured the attention of late-eighties audiences. A year later, she played a similar character in the dark high school comedy, Heathers. In Heathers, Winona and costar Christian Slater start killing off the high school "in" crowd while making it seem like suicide. It was dark and witty in a way that John Hughes could never have dreamed of.
The fact that she could bring these darkly witty characters to life so beautifully guaranteed that when Burton was casting for Edward Scissorhands, she would be the first considered. While her role was less angst-filled than previous outings, she did an admirable role in this one as well. Wearing a blond wig, she played the beauty opposite then-fiance Johnny Depp's beast. This marked her last outing in the role of a teenager.
After a small role in the indy film Night of Earth, her next role would have been her biggest to date, as Michael Corleone's daughter in Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather Part III. Unfortunately, she had to pull out at the last minute due to a respiratory infection brought on by exhaustion. Instead, the role was played by the totally-inadequate-for-the-task, Sophia Coppola.
However, Winona Ryder and Francis Ford Coppola would work together yet. When Ryder found the screenplay for an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, she approached Coppola and he signed on. The sexually and sensually charged adaptation provided Ryder with her first truly grown-up role. She followed Dracula with Age of Innocence, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Having made two costume dramas, she signed on for a third. Little Women had been one of Ryder's favorite novels and her performance as Jo March resulted in another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actress.
When she dropped out of The Godfather Part III, rumors began to circulate that she was pregnant, that she had been discouraged by then-boyfriend Johnny Depp, had a drug problem, etc... She said in an interview later that year that she arrived in Rome to film and simply could not get out of bed. A doctor was called and ordered her to return home and sleep.
After Alien 4: Resurrection, Winona retreated from the Hollywood limelight. She appeared in less and less films and was no longer part of the Hollywood party scene.
Contact Winona RyderC/O International Creative Management
8942 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
USA
TriviaHer real hair color is blonde but when she made her first major film Lucas (1986) her hair color was dyed black and she was told to keep it that color and it has stayed that color since.
(2000) Was engaged to Matt Damon.
Her December 22, 1999 guest spot on The Tonight Show was her first ever appearance on a talk show. She did it to promote Girl Interrupted (the first film she has executive produced). She clearly had first-timer's jitters, but settled in comfortably.
(22 March 1999) Injured knee while filming Girl, Interrupted (1999).
(October 1997) Ranked #42 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
(1997) Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
She briefly checked herself into a hospital when she was 20, because she was suffering from depression, anxiety attacks, and exhaustion, resulting from constantly working on films.
Dad is Michael Horowitz, Mom is Cindy Horowitz. Has one sister, Sunyata.
Brothers: Jubal and Uri
Is actually a natural blonde, but has been dyeing her hair since 11.
Graduated from Petaluma High School with a 4.0 GPA.
Received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood in October 2000, and, for the event, was voted Best Dressed Celebrity of the Week by Entertainment Weekly.
(1996) Helped Italian designer Giorgio Armani promote his Manhattan chain of stores.
(1997) Had to turn down the role of Nina in The Object of My Affection (1998) due to scheduling conflicts.
(1996) Chosen as one of the "Top Players Under 35" list by People magazine.
(1996) Began work on Girl, Interrupted (1999), which took four more years to make it to the screen.
(1997) The role of Nola in Celebrity (1998) was actually written for Drew Barrymore.
When she was seven, though there was no electricity on the commune where they lived, Winona's mother began to run a old movie theater in a nearby barn, and would screen movies all day. She would allow Winona to miss school to watch movies with her.
Independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch wrote a part specifically for her in Night on Earth (1991), as a tattooed, chain-smoking cabbie who dreams of becoming a mechanic.
She dedicated the film Little Women (1994) to Polly Klass, a young girl from her hometown who was kidnapped and brutally murdered. She offered a $200,000 reward for anyone with information on the subject, and remains a strong supporter in the Polly Klass Foundation.
Auditioned for the Marla Singer role in Fight Club (1999), which eventually went to Helena Bonham Carter.
Beat poet Allen Ginsberg was a close friend of her parents.
(2000) Upset with MGM for refusing to pre-screen Autumn in New York, saying she was very proud of the film and that the studio was giving it a bad name before it was even released.
(2000) Refused to do promotion for Lost Souls.
(1995) Signed on to The Girl You Want. After a few weeks of preproduction, she received a new version of the script, which she hated, and tried to get out of her contract. Touchstone Pictures threatened to sue her if she did, and so she completed the film. The film's title was changed to Boys (1996), and sat on the shelf for more than a year. After it finally got its release, it was released it less than 100 theaters in North America, and grossed less than five hundred thousand dollars.
Her favorite book is Catcher in the Rye. She says she owns every paperback edition and translations.
In late 1999, she started her own music company, "Roustabout Studios".
(March 2000) Presented Best Picture contender The Cider House Rules (1999) at the 72nd Academy Awards.
(19 May 2001) Appeared on the season finale of "Saturday Night Live", as herself.
Presented singer Bjork at the 2001 Academy Awards in the category Best Original Song.
Had to turn down the role of Alice Sutton in Conspiracy Theory (1997), which went to Julia Roberts, because of scheduling conflicts.
The film Lost Souls (2000), though it was released in late 2000, was actually shot in 1998, and New Line Cinema kept in on the shelf for two years.
(1996) Received a Grammy nomination for her reading of the 1995 novel Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl.
Had one date with Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller, who wrote the song Rollerskate Skinny about her.
(1994) Turned down the lead role in Sabrina (1995) because she felt she could not fill Audrey Hepburn's shoes, and that the role was marked by sexism.
Her agent begged her not to do Heathers (1989), saying her career would be over.
Enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco at the age of 12.
The first house she bought was in the Hollywood Hills. She soon moved, saying she never fitted in.
Says Sarah Miles (I)'s performance in Ryan's Daughter (1970) inspired her to become a professional actress.
First auditioned for the role of Blanca in The House of the Spirits (1993) when she was sixteen, but the part 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 due to pregnancy, and Winona replaced her.
When she dropped out of The Godfather Part III, rumors began to circulate that she was pregnant, that she had been discouraged by then-boyfriend Johnny Depp, had a drug problem, etc... She said in an interview later that year that she arrived in Rome to film and simply could not get out of bed. A doctor was called and ordered her to return home and sleep.
Dated Johnny Depp for many years. He had a tatoo of her name and after they broke up he had it reduced to WINO FOREVER.
Was considered for the part of Janet in a big-screen remake of Three's Company opposite Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz, but the project was eventually cancelled.
(16 August 2001) Suffered severe stomach pains, and was doubled over in pain. She was sent to her hotel room in London and later, was admitted to the hospital, and diagnosed with a severe gastroenterological disorder. She left the UK on August 24th. The sickness caused her to drop out of the film Lily and the Secret Planting (2002), which eventually went to Kate Winslet instead. Winona was said to have been very passionate about her role in the film and was heartbroken to leave it. The incident brought to mind the similar 1990 stomach flu that caused her to drop out of The Godfather: Part III (1990) two days before filming began, which caused a lot of controversy.
(December 12, 2001) Was arrested in Beverly Hills for allegedly stealing clothing items and carrying illegal pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription. Her lawyer denied the accusations, and Winona was released later that evening on $20,000 bail. She is due to be arrained on January 14th. Despite her alleged crime, Beverly Hills police described her as "very friendly, polite, and cooperative" and "a nice lady."
Smokes a pack of cigarettes a day!
Appeared on the cover of the June 2002 cover of W magazine wearing a "Free Winona" T-shirt. "Free Winona" T-shirts became popular over the Internet following her December 22, 2001 arrest, with many fans sporting them and purses in support.
In March 2002, she appeared in her second Caffé Latté commercial, as well as a commercial for Subaru.
(18 May 2002) guest on the season finale of Saturday Night Live.
Broke her arm during the filming of Mr. Deeds, in the scene where she and Adam Sandler are riding bikes down a flight of stairs.
Girl....Interrupted?
The movie starts off with Winona Ryders' character [Susanna Kaysen] narrating, "Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Or maybe I was just a girl.........interrupted."
Is the talented actress really plagued with such personal problems such as kleptomania? Is Girl, Interrupted a gloved fit role for Ryder? Read below.
Record Sought in Winona Ryder Case
Thursday September 12, 2002
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (AP) - A document filed under seal this week in Winona Ryder's shoplifting case is missing from the court file, a judge said Thursday.
Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's Office, said the missing document is a prosecution motion, but the contents haven't been released because of the sealing order.
Ryder, the 30-year-old star of Girl, Interrupted' and other films, was arrested in December at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills for allegedly stealing nearly $6,000 worth of designer merchandise and carrying painkillers without a prescription.
Superior Court Judge Elden Fox said he would put new restrictions on access to the file. Anyone who wants to look through it will have to get court permission, he said.
Neither Ryder nor her lawyer, Mark Geragos, appeared at Thursday's hearing. Geragos was in trial elsewhere. His associate, Shepard Kopp, declined comment outside court.
Because of Geragos' schedule conflict, the judge postponed a pretrial hearing until Wednesday. "It is understood that on that date we will be picking a (trial) date or resolving the case,'' Fox said, suggesting that both sides may be trying to dispose of the case without a trial.
Neither Kopp nor Gibbons would discuss whether settlement talks were underway to reach a plea agreement.
Ryder previously pleaded innocent to charges of second-degree burglary, grand theft, vandalism and possession of a controlled substance. She could face more than three years in prison if convicted.
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Prosecution Wants Winona Drug Charge Dropped
Wednesday October 09, 2002
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (Ananova) - Prosecutors in the Winona Ryder shoplifting trial have asked a court to drop the drug charge she faces. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office wants the felony charge alleging the actress was in possession of a controlled drug, the painkiller Oxycodone, dismissed.
Judge Elden Fox is expected to rule on the request when Ryder appears for trial in Beverly Hills Superior Court next week.She remains accused of grand theft, commercial burglary and vandalism and denies the charges against her.
Deputy District Attorney Ann Rundle said the decision to drop the charge came after prosecutors learned of a defence witness whose evidence questions whether Ryder had "the requisite criminal knowledge" necessary to commit the drug possession offense.
Ryder faces trial next Tuesday for allegedly stealing designer clothes and accessories from an exclusive store.
The 30-year-old Little Women star denies shoplifting more than £3,000 worth of goods from trendy Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills, just before Christmas last year.
She is free on £13,000 bail but could be sentenced to more than three years in jail if convicted.
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 Attorney
Mark Geragos escorts actress Winona Ryder (news) through the security
screening area in this, June 14, 2002 file photo, as she arrives at
the Los Angeles County Courthouse in Beverly Hills, Calif. Prosecutors
asked a judge Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 to dismiss a felony drug charge
against Ryder, who faces charges she stole nearly $6,000 worth of designer
merchandise and illegally possessed a painkiller. Charges of felony
grand theft, commercial burglary and vandalism are still pending. (APPhoto/Fred
Prouser, Pool, File) |
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Judge
Asked to Drop Charge Vs. Ryder LOS ANGELES, CA (AP) - Winona Ryder (news) will have a felony drug charge dropped if a judge approves a request by prosecutors who believe the actress had a reason to possess the generic painkiller. Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox received a two-page motion from county prosecutors to dismiss the charge and is expected to make a ruling on Nov. 15, the day the Girl, Interrupted star is to stand trial on charges of felony grand theft, commercial burglary and vandalism. Prosecutors asked the judge Wednesday to dismiss the charge, saying Ryder's defense offered a sworn statement from someone suggesting the actress had reason to have a generic form of the prescription pill Percocet. District attorney's office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons refused to say who provided the statement, but said it made it clear that Ryder did not have "the requisite criminal knowledge" necessary to support the drug charge. A source close to the case said Ryder's defense attorneys provided evidence that she received the pills from a doctor. Ryder's attorney, Mark Geragos, said he was pleased with the district attorney's decision but would not say what was contained in the declaration. Ryder
was arrested in December at the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly
Hills for allegedly stealing nearly $6,000 worth of designer merchandise
and illegally possessing the medication.
Winona Ryder convicted of grand theft, prosecution won't seek jail By Linda Deutsch BEVERLY HILLS
– Winona Ryder was convicted Wednesday of grand theft for stealing
more than $5,500 worth of high-fashion merchandise from a Saks Fifth
Avenue store, but the prosecutor said she would not seek to put the
actress behind bars...
Winona Ryder Escapes Jail for Theft Duncan Campbell,
Los Angeles, CA The actress Winona
Ryder was yesterday sentenced to probation, fined and ordered to do
community service for shoplifting from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly
Hills last year, amid courtroom scenes reminiscent of a Hollywood
drama. "You have disappointed many people who have been entertained and inspired by your talent," Judge Elden Fox told the Oscar-nominated actress. He said he had been unable to explain to his 16-year-old son, Ryan, why someone who earned so much ($6m a film) should shoplift: "You are the only person that's going to be able to answer my son's question." He told the actress that she had clearly reached "a crossroads in her life" when she went on a shoplifting spree in the store. He sentenced the star of such films as Girl, Interrupted, The Age of Innocence, Little Women and Beetlejuice to 36 months probation and 480 hours of community service at charities, including those involving blind children and babies with Aids in the Los Angeles area. She was fined a total of $3700, ordered to make restitution to Saks for the 20 stolen items. and required to submit to counselling for her "aberrant behaviour." Ms Ryder, 31, did not speak except to say that she understood that if she committed a similar offence she would go to jail. But her lawyer, Marg Geragos, entered an impassioned plea for clemency on her behalf, citing her work with American Indians and on behalf of the family of the kidnapped and murdered Californian child, Polly Klaas, whose case became a national cause celebre nine years ago. "She is one of the classiest women I have ever met," Mr Geragos told the packed court, citing her offer of a $1m reward in the Klaas case, a documentary she had made and financed on children in the sex trade in India and her work with the American Indian college fund which sends low-income Native Americans to university. As a result of the case, said Mr Geragos, "she is going to carry the scarlet letter of S for shoplfiting for the rest of her life". He gave no explanation for the offence but said she suffered from a "pain management" problem which she had been addressing with prescription drugs, eight varieties of which were found on her at the time of her arrest. The reference to Polly Klaas prompted the prosecuting attorney, Ann Rundle, to accuse Ryder of "trotting out the body of a dead child" in her plea for leniency. This remark outraged Ryder who leapt to her feet in protest at the claim. The judge intervened, calmed the court and told the actress that he had no intention of making an example of her. Outside the court, the dead girl's father, Mark Klaas, accused Ms Rundle of being a "third-rate prosecutor" and praised Ryder for the help she had given his family when his daughter was still missing. "She gave to me in my deepest, darkest hour of need," he said. "She was a loyal friend to me and I'll be a loyal friend to her." Ryder, who arrived at the court in a black sports car, was convicted last month of stealing 20 items worth a total of $5,560 from the Beverly Hills branch of Saks last year. Security guards from the store gave evidence that she had told them she was acting on the instructions of a director in preparation for a film role as a shoplifter, but no evidence was introduced to support this. Ryder, who pleaded not guilty, did not give evidence. Earlier charges connected with her possession of a variety of prescription drugs were dropped. The court also heard from a Saks executive who said that shoplifing was a not a victimless crime, that it cost the industry $10bn and Saks $7m a year and that Ryder was a "movie star thief."
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* * Hollywood Pulse has an article published in their archives about a high school friend, who is 'dissing Winona.
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