Why Stranger Things Star Winona Ryder Missed Out On Marlon Brando's Film
Winona Ryder was initially cast in The Freshman (1990) alongside Marlon Brando, but the offer was revoked after the producers watched her in Heathers.
Winona Ryder is returning as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things Season 5, which marks the final chapter of the hit Netflix series. While fans gear up for the first part of the final season releasing on November 26, Ryder has now shared a 35-year-old secret that once deeply impacted her career.
Winona Ryder Was Once Rejected From A Marlon Brando Film
In a recent interview with Elle UK, the 53-year-old actress revealed that she was initially cast in the 1990 film The Freshman, opposite Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick. But everything changed after the producers saw her in Heathers.
In 1989, Winona Ryder starred in the cult dark comedy Heathers, where she played the role of Veronica Sawyer. The story follows Veronica as she teams up with JD, played by Christian Slater, to take revenge on the high school queen bee Heather Chandler, portrayed by Kim Walker. What begins as a prank turns deadly when Heather dies, and the duo stages it to look like a suicide. The film explores themes like gun violence, eating disorders, sexuality and murder, all wrapped in sharp humour and biting satire.
Why Winona Ryder Lost The Role In The Freshman
The Little Woman actress shared, ''I was told I was never gonna work again if I did Heathers'," admitting, 'I did lose a job." She further explained, 'They thought it was making fun of teen suicide. They were deeply offended and, yeah, they revoked the offer."
In an emotional tone, Winona Ryder added, 'I'm like, 'I can't work with Marlon Brando?'" But she stood her ground. She shared, 'But I had to stand my ground. I wasn't gonna apologise." She admitted that Heather holds a special place in her heart. 'I never turn off Heathers if it's on. I know it basically by heart," she said.
Heathers Director Defended The Film's Intent
Earlier in an interview with The Denver Post Michael Lehman, the director of Heather clarified that it's a mix of dark crimes and comedy. He said, 'The more horrifying or disturbing human behavior is, the more opportunity there is to mine it for certain types of comedy," adding, 'You click it a few notches in one direction or another to make it absurd, and it allows to you to understand human behavior better, because people do horrible things with the best intentions."
He also pointed out that much of the backlash was rooted in misinterpretation. Lehman said, 'When it came out a lot of people were very upset and there was a big politically correct backlash saying, 'How dare you make fun of teenage suicide!' But Columbine hadn't happened yet. And anyway, we weren't making fun of teenage suicide, we were making a comedy about the way teenagers are perceived by adults and how they behave to each other."
Despite The Setback, Ryder's Career Soared
Though she lost the role in The Freshman, Ryder's bold choice to stand by Heathers didn't slow her down. In 1990 alone, she starred in Edward Scissorhands and Mermaids. Her performances in The Age of Innocence (1993) and Little Women (1994) earned her two consecutive Oscar nominations. Over the years, she has collected a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and even a Grammy Award.
Winona Ryder is set to return in Stranger Things 5, a series she has been associated with for almost a decade, continuing to win hearts as Joyce Byers.
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