American actress who entered movies at age 13 following a less-than-conventional upbringing by intellectual hippy parents who were both editors by profession, pals with Allen Ginsberg and drug guru Timothy Leary, who was her godfather.
Winona was the first child of Mike and Cindy Horowitz. Along with an older half-sister and half-brother from her mother’s first marriage, she had a brother, Uri, who came five years after her. At 15, she changed her name to Ryder because it sounded more suitable for her stage ambition, presumably inspired by a Mitch Ryder album. Her household, despite being bizarre by Ozzie-and-Harriet standards, was happy and stable in its own way, and her upbringing included a four-year residence in a commune with no electricity or running water but with a heavy emphasis on books and the use of one’s imagination. After she watched her mother screen some classic movies in a nearby barn (which presumably had electricity), she decided she wanted to be an actress by age eight.
After the commune, the family moved to Petaluma, a farm town near San Francisco, where there was some normalcy. Ryder, however, was mortified by Veronica, the psychedelic bus in which her parents drove her to school. “Noni” as she was called, took acting lessons while in high school. Her parents later sent her to San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater, where she was spotted by talent scouts and asked to audition. The audition eventually won her an agent and a first film role, as a teen cheerleader in “Lucas” when she was 13. That was followed by another low-profile film, “Square Dance,” before she blossomed into a tall, dark, glamorous star in “Beetlejuice,” 1988, “Heathers,” 1989, and the 13-year-old bride of Jerry Lee Lewis in “Great Balls of Fire,” 1989. Other films have included “Alien: Resurrection,” “The Age of Innocence,” and “The Crucible.”
She had a teen relationship with “Scissorhands” co-star Johnny Depp, followed by David Pirner, lead singer of the band Soul Asylum then Dave Grohl of Nirvana. A loyal fan of rocker-dudes, she moved on to ex-Whiskeytown singer Ryan Adams. Her films included “Reality Bites,” 1994 and “Girl, Interrupted,” 1999. Ryder was Oscar-nominated for “The Age of Innocence,” 1993 and “Little Women,” 1994.
She became involved with the case of Polly Klaas, a 12-year-old kidnapped from her bedroom during a slumber party in 1993. Ryder attended the same junior high school as Polly (although years earlier) and offered a $200,000 reward for her return. She went out with search parties herself to help find her. By coincidence, Ryder was starring in “Little Women,” Klaas’ favorite book, and after the youngster was found murdered, Ryder dedicated the movie to her.
Ryder was arrested at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on 12/11/2001 after store clerks observed her on security video tearing the security tags off clothes, a handbag and hair accessories and placing the goods in a bag with items she had previously purchased. Police intercepted her leaving the store and she was charged with grand theft of $4,760 worth of goods. She is also facing a charge of illegal possession of prescription drugs, found on her person. Her attorney, Mark Geragos, said they were prescribed painkillers and she was not under the influence during the incident and she was released on $20,000 bail.
On 2/01/2002, Ryder was charged with felony counts of theft, burglary, vandalism and possession of a controlled substance. Free on $20,000 bail, she is scheduled for arraignment on 6/05. At that time, she was held over for trial. She broke her right elbow on 6/02. On 12/06/2002, Ryder was sentenced to probation, community service and a fine, 480 hours of community service, and is ordered to undergo counseling and pay up to $10,000 in fines.
While on a British Airways flight from Los Angeles to the UK on November 19, 2008, Ryder fell ill and collapsed. The plane made an emergency landing in London and Ryder was rushed to a London hospital where her stomach was pumped. She had evidently overdosed on tranquilizers, reportedly taken for anxiety over flying.
Link to Wikipedia biography