Look Back on Winona Ryder's Best Roles Before the Premiere of Her New Netflix Series, Stranger Things

By Tessa Trudeau
Updated Jul 15, 2016 @ 2:45 pm
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Stranger Things is the latest Netflix original series hitting the streaming site, premiering today, July 15, and we couldn’t be more excited because Winona Ryder is the leading lady. While the 1990s darling has been in countless movies and cult classics—many of which earned her a number of prestigious nominations and awards—she has never had a starring role in a television series, so we have been looking forward to seeing her in this supernatural drama thriller for quite some time.

In this 1980s throwback, which takes place in a small Indiana town, Ryder plays Joyce, a mother whose son has seemingly disappeared into thin air. The search for the young boy subsequently brings to the surface many dark secrets about the town and its residents. Reminiscent of those '80s and '90s spooky classics like E.T., The Goonies, or Close Encounters of the Third Kind, we can't think of anyone more perfect for this role than the '90s icon herself.

Ahead of today’s premiere, we took a look back at some of our favorite Winona Ryder roles over the years, and we never realized just how many classics she has under her belt until we scrolled through her very long IMDb page. We can almost guarantee that this walk down memory lane will make you want to binge watch every single one of these films.

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BEETLEJUICE, 1988

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Although it wasn't her first film, Beetlejuice really put Ryder on the map. The comedic fantasy has spanned generations and become a widely beloved fan favorite, so the actress surprised and delighted us all last August when she dished to Seth Meyers that a Beetlejuice sequel is in the works. And all we have to say to that is, “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!”

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HEATHERS, 1988

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Premiering the same year as Beetlejuice, Heathers earned the actress her first award nomination at the 1990 Independent Spirit Awards. Entertainment Weekly reported recently that TV Land will be rebooting the coming-of-age tale as a comedic anthology series, so if you’ve never seen the dark comedy, this is one you’ll want to add to your Netflix queue ASAP.

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EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, 1990

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Marking Ryder's first time working with director Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is another one of the cult classics Ryder is most known for. The film was also Johnny Depp's first with Burton, and the two have gone on to work together on several more projects.

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MERMAIDS, 1990

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Ryder's role as teenager Charlotte Flax alongside Cher and Christina Ricci earned the young actress her first Golden Globe Award nomination.

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REALITY BITES, 1994

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Reality Bites is another early-1990s film that contributed to Ryder's young star status. Also starring Ethan Hawke and Ben Stiller, this film, like many of Ryder's early titles, quickly became another cult classic.

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LITTLE WOMEN, 1994

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This rendition of Little Women was the sixth feature film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel. Starring opposite Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, and Claire Danes, Ryder's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination. And there's great news for fans of the classic work: Sony is in the process of putting out a remake! We can't wait to see who will be cast in this version.

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GIRL, INTERRUPTED, 1999

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Ryder stars in Girl, Interrupted as Susanna Kaysen, an 18-year-old who is checked into a psychiatric hospital. The film follows Kaysen's recovery, and the relationships and interactions she has with other patients, including Angelina Jolie, Brittany Murphy, and Elisabeth Moss, along the way.

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BLACK SWAN, 2010

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Ryder's performance in Black Swan is one that was truly a bit disturbing. Playing the spoiled prima ballerina who was being replaced by Natalie Portman's Nina Sayers, Ryder perfectly portrayed the troubled dancer, and that hospital scene will forever be seared into our memories.

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