Winona Ryder

American actress

Famous Persons
Winona Ryder

Who is Winona Ryder?

Winona Laura Horowitz ( wi-NOH-nə; born October 29, 1971), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing "quirky" characters in the late 1980s, she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Following her film debut in Lucas (1986), Ryder rose to prominence when she starred in the comedy Beetlejuice (1988). She earned two consecutive Oscar nominations—Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress—for her portrayals of a socialite in The Age of Innocence (1993) and Jo March in Little Women (1994), respectively. Her subsequent work included starring roles in Reality Bites (1994), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), The Crucible (1996), Alien Resurrection (1997), Celebrity (1998), Girl, Interrupted (1999), and Mr. Deeds (2002). Winona Laura Horowitz, known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress.

Ryder and friends in April 1986
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Historical significance

Ryder's many accolades include a Golden Globe, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award. Major parts in Heathers (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Mermaids (1990), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) came next. After the significant negative media attention brought by her 2001 arrest for shoplifting, Ryder took a break from acting in the early 2000s.

Ryder received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 6, 2000.
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Cite this page
MLA

“Winona Ryder.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/winona-ryder/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

APA

Winona Ryder. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/winona-ryder/

Chicago

“Winona Ryder.” thisDay. Accessed October 29, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/winona-ryder/.