Imagine having iconic actress Winona Ryder playing your on-screen mom! That’s probably every ’80s and ’90s baby’s dream come true. The actress dominated the big screen after her break-through performance in Beetlejuice. After a brief hiatus, the actress returned by taking on the role of Joyce Beyers on the Netflix horror-thriller, Stranger Things.
Ryder’s character is the mother of two boys, Will and Jonathan Beyers, who both are entangled in the town’s mysterious events. Jonathan is portrayed by actor Charlie Heaton. Heaton and Ryder have opened up about their admiration for each other and what it’s like working together.
Charlie Heaton basically has a mom on the set
In an email sent to GQ for a piece covering Heaton, Ryder stated how “proud” she was of him, and spoke of the actor’s work ethic. The actress said of Heaton’s performance as her son that, “He works from his heart, which is as big as a planet.” Ryder continued about her bond with Heaton, one that she felt the first day she met him. “I felt an immediate, deep connection with Charlie that was surprising, as it usually takes time to build the kind of bond with the person you’re working with. I think it was largely due to his being so incredibly open as an actor, both emotionally and with his approach,” the actress shared.
She elaborated, “We barely knew each other, yet within a few days of shooting, I felt like he was my kid and I could go anywhere with him.”
Heaton also had nothing but good things to say about his on-screen parent. “Having her, this huge icon, just be like, ‘Hi’ — she just gave me a hug and was so normal,” the actor recalled of his first time meeting Ryder. Heaton added , “It was like, Oh, we can all just be here and do our jobs. Just having that support,” he emphasized, “like a mother, really”, meant a lot to him.
Winona Ryder’s legacy comes with drawbacks
As the veteran of the entertainment industry, Ryder is subject to various rumors and gossip from the tabloids. Gossip Cop recently busted a story about Ryder reuniting with her former fiance, Johnny Depp. As many may recall, the former couple were together from 1989 to 1993, but the two have only spoken good things about each other.
According to the NW, an alleged source told the publication that Depp considered Ryder his “true soulmate” and “the one who got away”. The source further hinted that Depp was trying to do what he could to get in contact with Ryder. Of course, the story was completely untrue. Ryder has been in a relationship with fashion designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn since 2011. Gossip Cop also checked with a source close to the situation to see if Depp was still pining for his ex-girlfriend. They told us it was totally false.