12 Facts About Winona Ryder’s Turbulent Life

Winona was born Winona Laura Horowitz and spent part of her childhood on a commune in Northern California. Her parents were intellectuals and friends of counterculture figures like Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, her godfather. For a while she lived without electricity and spent her time reading instead of watching TV, which explains her lifelong love of books.

As a child she moved to a regular school, where her short hair and androgynous look made her an outsider. On one occasion a group of boys, mistaking her for a boy, beat her up so badly she needed stitches. Ironically, she later said some of her former bullies asked for autographs when she became famous.

In the early '90s Ryder and Johnny Depp were Hollywood's ultimate couple. They met in 1989 and were engaged within months. Depp had 'Winona Forever' tattooed on his arm, and after their breakup changed it to 'Wino Forever'. She has called the breakup devastating.

Around the time of her breakup with Depp, Ryder struggled with insomnia, anxiety and depression. She has said that she checked herself into a psychiatric clinic as a young woman because she felt she was losing control.

The low point of her career came in December 2001, when she was arrested for taking designer clothing and accessories worth several thousand dollars from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. In 2002 she was convicted and sentenced to probation, 480 hours of community service and fines and restitution. Hollywood kept its distance from her for years afterwards.

Ryder has since said she was taking prescription painkillers at the time and was in a haze. She has spoken about the period with humility and said it forced her to take a step back from the spotlight.

Early in her career, Ryder has said, she was told by a casting agent that she wasn't pretty enough to make it in Hollywood. She ignored the remark and pushed on, landing roles like Veronica in Heathers (1989) that would define her career.

Winona was originally cast as Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III but had to withdraw at the last moment due to exhaustion. The role went to Sofia Coppola, whose performance was panned by critics. Many believe the film would have been better with Winona.

Winona was the driving force behind Girl, Interrupted, a film about a psychiatric hospital that she produced and starred in. But Angelina Jolie, in a supporting role as the dangerous sociopath Lisa, got all the attention and won an Oscar. Winona had seen the film as a passion project, but in the end she was overshadowed.

Winona is one of the few big stars who doesn't have Instagram or Twitter. She has said she dislikes how obsessed people have become with filming and photographing themselves.

After her relationship with Johnny Depp, she had a serious relationship with Matt Damon in the late '90s. They seemed like the perfect Hollywood couple, but split after a few years, and neither ever publicly confirmed why.

After years out of the spotlight, Winona made a spectacular comeback in 2016 with Stranger Things. Her role as Joyce Byers made her popular again and introduced her to a new generation of fans, and she's once again recognized as one of the most iconic actresses of her generation.