Summary
- Winona Ryder formed a maternal bond with her young Stranger Things co-stars and treats them like her own kids.
- Playing a mother on Stranger Things affected Winona Ryder emotionally and made her think about the sacrifices mothers make for their children.
- Ryder feels proud of and connected to her young co-stars who genuinely enjoy acting and remind her of the joy of performing at a young age.
Winona Ryder has no children of her own but quickly formed a maternal bond with her Stranger Things on-screen children Noah Schnapp and Charlie Heaton. "Honestly, I felt like Noah and Charlie were my kids," the Beetlejuice actress admitted.
The science fiction horror series, set in small town Indiana in 1983, follows a set of kids and teenagers in the wake of a local boy's disappearance. Winona Ryder plays the missing boy's distraught mother, Joyce.
Ryder also revealed she had a strong bond with Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven. Winona Ryder shared, “They’re just amazing. They helped me a lot.”
“I mean, I’m not a mom, but I grew very attached. I’ll just leave it at that."
How Playing A Mother In Stranger Things Impacted Winona Ryder
Since playing mom Joyce Byers on the Netflix series Stranger Things, Winona Ryder revealed that more people are interested in her status as a mother.
During a 2016 interview, Ryder revealed, “I’m getting asked a lot, ‘You don’t have kids, so how do you know how to act like a mother?'”
The Little Women actress added, “I know nothing could compare, and I haven’t had that experience, but when my niece was born, I felt like I would jump in front of a car and die for this little person I didn’t even know yet.”
The Edward Scissorhands star also revealed how she can play a maternal role despite not having her own children. “I actually felt tremendous compassion for her [her Stranger Things character, Joyce],” Ryder noted.
She continued to explain how she connected with her Stranger Things character, “I feel like she was one of these people that had dreams [for her life]. But she had kids. And it made me think of all the women that I know who have kids, who when they talk about [anything negative about their lives as mothers], they always say, ‘But I love my kids, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.’”
Winona Ryder's Youth Was Filled With Both Notable Scandals And Major Successes
Winona Ryder was the 'It' girl of the 80s and 90s and her star was on an upward trajectory until she almost lost everything.
Winona Ryder admitted that playing a struggling single mother faced with every parent’s worst nightmare took an emotional toll on her. “I was sort of a wreck for a few months every day,” she explained.
Ryder explains that she felt "tremendous grief" for her Stranger Things character, Joyce Byers, who is a single mother raising her children alone. "I feel like she was one of these people that had dreams [for her life]. But she had kids," she explained.
"And it made me think of all the women that I know who have kids, who when they talk about [anything negative about their lives as mothers], they always say, 'But I love my kids, I wouldn't trade them for the world.' Like they feel guilty for even hinting that they'd want something outside of kids! It’s a weird thing."
Why Winona Ryder Doesn't Have Children
Winona Ryder is not a mother herself and has admitted it took a while for her to not get caught up worrying about the opinions of others. She came to terms with the fact there are many other ways of being a mother. Perhaps her lack of wanting children came from being born to hippie-like parents, who moved the family to a commune-like place to live.
Winona Ryder Hated Working With Ethan Hawke In This Film Because Of How He Was Living
Winona Ryder didn't talk to Ethan Hawke after discovering he lived in a New York apartment with his mattress on the floor.
"This is a little personal, but I’m 42 and… Well, I was talking to my dad last year and saying, 'What if I can’t have a kid?' and he said, 'There are other ways to have children in your life,'" the actress told The Telegraph in 2014.
"That's true - and I get these amazing doses with my brother's kids. But I’ve got to stop listening to other people. It’s crazy the stuff women will tell you."
Winona Ryder has also admitted that if she did have a child, she would have given up her acting career. "I think if I had a child, I would. I think I'd just want to be a mum. And I've seen from my brother and sister-in-law how much work children are so I think I'd want it to be my priority," Ryder explained.
How Winona Ryder Feels About Her Younger Stranger Things Co-Stars
Winona Ryder, who started acting at a young age, has admitted she had mixed feelings about children working as actors. She explained how refreshing it is to star alongside young actors who "genuinely enjoyed acting." By 13, Winona Ryder was cast in her first movie opposite Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen in the movie Lucas (1986).
She admitted in an interview during the first season of the hit Netflix show her concern for starring alongside children. “A lot of times, I’ve had experiences with kids that were pushed into it, and maybe didn’t really want to be doing it, but … there wasn’t any of that. So it was like this genuine [experience]. They just genuinely really, really loved it. Which I did, too, at that age!”
Details On Winona Ryder's Young Life, And More Things Fans Didn't Know About The Actress
Though Winona Ryder has been in the spotlight for decades, there are many interesting facts about her that aren't widely known.
She has described her pride at her young Stranger Things co-stars. “I remember saying to them, ‘The work is the reward. You’re doing it for this moment when we’re in the scene.’ And they got that right away, and they can remind me of that now sometimes when things can seem a bit overwhelming.”
She added, “There is a purity to kids that age, and there’s a real specialness there. These kids, in particular, just floor me at how kind and thoughtful and incredible they are.”
It was Winona Ryder's childhood stardom that led to the casting director thinking of her in the role of Joyce in Stranger Things. "I also thought there was some connective tissue to a story with kids and Winona’s own iconic childhood performances that would intrigue an audience in a special way.”
