Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

Has Golden Globe Nominee Winona Ryder Staged a Comeback?

Winona Ryder’s career was in a tailspin for a decade or so, as she endured charges of shoplifting and dealt with depression, anxiety and a substance dependency. But the Jewish leading lady could see confirmation of a comeback this Sunday when the Golden Globes are awarded.

At the ceremony, she’s up for the Best Actress award after her leading role in the Netflix drama “Stranger Things,” in which she plays a mother investigating her son’s disappearance. It’s the first time she’s been in the running for a serious award since the ’90s, when she garnered a Golden Globe for her performance in “The Age of Innocence,” as well as another Golden Globe nomination and an Academy Award nomination.

Ryder came to prominence first in the late ‘80’s, when she starred in the classic Tim Burton dark comedy “Beetlejuice.” Other marquee credits included “Girl Interrupted,” “Mermaids” and “Dracula.”

Her career went into a tailspin when she was caught in 2001 shoplifting thousands of dollars worth of designer clothing, which eventually led her to be convicted on charges of theft and sentenced to probation.

She began to re-emerge in the late aughts, nabbing a supporting role in “Black Swan” as an aging ballerina. She also cameoed in “Star Trek.” But it’s her part in “Stranger Things,” a comedy-horror reminiscent of Beetlejuice that has really brought her the spotlight. And soon enough, we’ll know how bright it shines.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.