Winona Ryder has spoken out about her difficult experiences after starring in the original Beetlejuice film in 1988.
It’s been 36 years since the world first experienced the film, and the unforgettable bio-exorcist is ready to haunt our screens once again in the highly-anticipated sequel to the cult classic.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to hit theaters in a matter of days, with stars Michael Keaton, 72, Winona, 52, and Catherine O’Hara, 70, returning to their iconic roles, while Tim Burton is also back to direct the film.
Winona stars in the film as the lead protagonist Lydia Deetz and In a new interview for giftIn ‘s fall issue, he reflected on his life after the first film.
She recounted that when she was still in high school and was only 17 years old, she went out for the first time.
Winona Ryder spoke about her difficult experiences after starring in the original Beetlejuice film in 1988 (seen with co-star Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice in the original film)
Winona stars in the film as lead actress Lydia Deetz and in a new interview for Esquire’s fall issue she reflected on her life after the first film.
Winona commented: ‘I remember thinking it was going to change my status, but it made it worse.
“They were like, ‘You’re a witch! You’re a monster!’ That amplified it. I was like, ‘But I’m in a movie!'”
She added of her role as Lydia in the original Beetlejuice series: “I was very much like Lydia. They didn’t have to do much with me.
‘My brother found a photo of me taken a month before the audition. I had dyed my hair blue-black, had very short bangs and was dressed in black.’
She also recounted how her experiences on the set of the new film were entirely positive and praised her co-star Michael for being “so kind to her.”
Winona said: ‘Michael was very kind to me. And Catherine O’Hara. They always included me. They were very kind and very considerate. It was a unique thing because, as a child actor, you don’t always get that.
“It’s about the adults. It was the first time I felt like I was a contributor on a movie. And I really had a connection with Tim. I remember being on other movies and it wasn’t like that. People weren’t as nice. It was a lot tougher.”
Winona Ryder, 52, got her big break in Beetlejuice and her career blossomed in the 1990s.
The star will return as Lydia Deetz for the upcoming sequel, and her character will now be a mother to a teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega).
She recounted that when she was still in high school and was just 17 years old, it premiered (seen at the Venice Film Festival premiere on Wednesday night)
Winona said: ‘I remember thinking it was going to change my status, and it made it worse. ‘They were like, ‘You’re a witch! You’re a monster!’ It amplified it. I was like, ‘But I’m in a movie!’
It’s been 36 years since the world first experienced the film, and the unforgettable bio-exorcist is set to haunt screens once again in the highly-anticipated sequel to the cult classic.
Lydia assumed she would never hear from the mischievous entity again, until her daughter stumbles upon an advertisement for a “Bio Exorcist” on her attack.
It is Astrid who ends up bringing Beetlejuice back by saying his name three times despite her mother’s stern warnings.
After a dramatic breakup with Johnny Depp and a shoplifting incident in the 2000s, she had a recent resurgence due to her role as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things.
After Beetlejuice, she starred in the cult classic Heathers (1988) and played Myra, Jerry Lee Lewis’ cousin and child girlfriend, in Great Balls Of Fire (1989).
Even after making four films and dating the likes of Rob Lowe in the mid-’80s and Christian Slater around the time she filmed Heathers, she still wasn’t widely accepted among her peers.
“When I’m with people my age, I’m a mess. What they think of me is much more important than what people in the industry think of me,” she said. Fashion in 1994.
She also recounted how her experiences on the set of the new film were entirely positive and praised her co-star Michael for being “so gentle with her.”
Winona got her big break in Beetlejuice (pictured left) and has had a recent resurgence due to her role as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things (pictured right in 2022).
Ryder played Lydia Deetz when she was just 16 years old thinking it would boost her popularity at school, but it actually did the opposite.
‘I think it’s just me facing my own insecurity. I wasn’t accepted in middle school, high school, or elementary school. I was always bullied. I never had any friends, except for one, Heather.
“This is going to sound weird, but even after I got famous, kids weren’t any nicer to me. I mean, I stayed in high school until I was a sophomore. I’d done four movies. I’d done Beetlejuice, which was a huge movie. But kids were still throwing food at me,” she concluded.
At that time, he dropped out of high school and began working on high-profile films with Hollywood’s elite.
The autumn issue of Esquire UK is now on sale.
