WINONA forever

AFTER ALMOST FOUR DECADES OF FAME, THE EFFORTLESSLY COOL STAR IS AT EASE WITH GETTING OLDER

- • By Jennie Noonan

At just 14 years old, Winona Ryder landed her first movie role in the 1986 rom-com Lucas. Before long, she was a household name, thanks to star turns in cult classics like Beetlejuice, Heathers and Edward Scissorhands, as well as scoring back-to-back Oscar nominations in 1994 and 1995 for The Age of Innocence and Little Women. The star’s soulful eyes and elfin face were everywhere, and by her early twenties, she was the epitome of cool.

“I always knew I looked young,” Ryder, now 53, told Elle magazine for their August issue. “But I also knew that when I started ageing, it was gonna happen fast.”

While many would beg to differ, pointing out just how little she has changed between 1988’s Beetlejuice and its 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the star admitted that looking older isn’t all bad.

“I don’t mind it. But what’s weird is when you’re surrounded by young women getting weird s--t done,” she said, referring to cosmetic procedures like buccal fat removal. “I thought they were kidding. I want to say, like, ‘In 10 years, you’re gonna want that back!’”

Ryder added she has routinely felt pressure from directors who don’t hesitate to point out new lines on her face. “They’ll say, ‘Just relax your forehead. Relax.’ I’m trying to be a great actor, and they’re saying that over and over,” she spilled to Elle.

“It’s nice that people are talking about how it’s OK to age, but there’s still enormous pressure,” she continued. “Every role I get is for a mother, you know? My career has definitely shifted.”