Winona Ryder “fought for Joyce’s flaws” in Stranger Things
By Ashley Hurst
Stranger Things is entering the final months of production on its fifth and final season. Star Winona Ryder (Joyce) has been involved from the very start, almost an entire decade ago. It's been a crazy journey for her, from having to deal with searching for her missing son Will in the hellish Upside Down to fighting off hordes of monsters like the Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer and finally Vecna.
Winona Ryder's portrayal of Joyce could've been very different. Turns out, in the beginning of the show, creators Matt and Ross Duffer wanted Joyce to be more of a fighter than she turned out to be; a 'supermom,' as Ryder says. The Joyce we see in season 1 is determined and desperate, she'll do anything to save her son, but she's not without her limits.
“I really fought for Joyce’s flaws,” Ryder told Esquire. “I didn’t want to be like supermom. I wanted her to be one of these women I saw [in the movies of the 1970s and 1980s], that was just doing the best they can. I really took a lot from [Meryl Streep in] in Silkwood.”
Additionally, Ryder went on to explain why she was offered the role. Of course, her cultural significance in the 1980s and 1990s, thanks to her role in Beetlejuice especially, was important when it came to working on a show that pays tribute to a lot of films from '80s. "I've gone from being the youngest person on set to being the oldest," she said. "And I'm not oblivious in any way about the reason they came to me for it. I know there is an element of nostalgia [to her casting]. I am aware."
Funnily enough, Winona Ryder never planned to be acting in the capacity she is at her age. Especially not approaching a decade on Stranger Things. "Ten years! I never thought. [At first] I was like, 'I don't want to be doing this when I'm in my fifties!' It's nuts, and it's extra nuts to be at my age."
Ryder will soon be back on our screens in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to Tim Burton's beloved 1988 movie. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premieres September 6. The final season of Stranger Things doesn't have a release date yet, but we should expect it sometime in 2025.
The Rings of Power hinted at the Stranger's name and I didn't even notice. dark. Next. The Rings of Power hinted at the Stranger's name and I didn't even notice
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