Winona Ryder Explains Why Her Parents Refused to Move Her to Los Angeles When She Was a Child

Winona Ryder reflects on how her parents tried to protect her from Hollywood when she was still a child actress.

The actress, who made her film debut in 1986 Lucas at just 15 years old, shared in a recent interview with Another Magazine that instead of moving to Los Angeles, her parents chose to drive seven hours from San Francisco to Los Angeles every time she auditioned.

She added that school was also a priority in her family, which meant she “had to keep her grades up” to be allowed to audition.

“I couldn’t work if it coincided with my studies,” Ryder says. “My parents, who are just my best friends, were very wary of Hollywood. They associated it with the Judy Garland tragedy, and we never moved there. It turned out to be a real gift, because I knew a lot of kids who went through that. They moved and were supporting their whole family, and it didn’t go so well. I knew a lot of kids who suffered from burnout.”

THE Beetlejuice Beetlejuice actress She said she later heard that she “had a reputation for being very demanding” with projects, “when in reality we just couldn’t afford to go there.”

But she didn’t miss an audition for Tim Burton’s 1988 film. Beetlejuice film, which ultimately turned out to be her breakthrough role, that of Lydia Deetz.

“Beetlejuice “It was so unusual – I was focused on Lydia,” Ryder said of her audition. “I remember making my mom wait in the car because I wanted to do it alone.”

The actress even recalled her first meeting with the legendary director that day, which didn’t necessarily go as planned. “I was waiting in a side office of a studio in Culver City when a young man came in. I thought he was in the art department,” she said. “We started talking about old movies and the art of Edward Gorey, and we discovered that we had a mutual affinity for the actor Peter Lorre. And then I was like, ‘Do you know when Tim Burton is coming?’ He said, ‘Oh, that’s me.’ I had no idea that directors could be this cool young man. I said, ‘God, I’m sorry, do you want me to read?’ He said, ‘No, I want you to.’”

And the rest is history, as Ryder continued to cement his name in Hollywood and collaborated with Burton on other films, including Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie and the next one Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.