Winona Ryder has been in a lot of beloved movies over the years, but every actor has a project or two that got away. As we get ready to see her wrap up her role in Stranger Things Season 5, the actress has shared that one of her early (and generation-defying) movies, Heathers, actually led her to miss out on working opposite Marlon Brando.
Winona Ryder Reveals The Movie She Lost Because Of Heathers
In a new interview with Elle, Winona Ryder recalled being told she was “never gonna work again” after making the 1988 movie, Heathers. At the time, she had already made Beetlejuice and was very much in demand, but apparently, she did lose a job on The Freshman with Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick that had been lined up due to the high school dark comedy, which she has said before was originally going to go to Jennifer Connelly. In her words:
They thought it was making fun of teen suicide. They were deeply offended and, yeah, they revoked the offer…. I’m like, ‘I can’t work with Marlon Brando?’ But I had to stand my ground. I wasn’t gonna apologize.
I’ll be honest, I remember Heathers a lot more than The Freshman. Considering Ryder tried to get a sequel for Heathers made at some point, she doesn’t regret her decision to be in the cult classic with Christian Slater. But she was understandably bummed when a role was taken away from her due to some negative feedback about the movie. Marlon Brando is obviously one of the most prestigious actors one can work with, so it was a huge loss. However, Ryder decided not to cower over the decision on the side of The Freshman. She stood her ground, allowed the opportunity to pass, and didn’t apologize for the movie she’d already made.
What Happened After Winona Ryder Lost Out On The Freshman
While we don’t know exactly who Ryder was going to play in the movie, it’s very likely that it was the role of Tina Sabatini, who ended up being played by Penelope Ann Miller. Sure, Winona Ryder could have played another great role, but here’s what she said next:
I never turn off Heathers if it’s on. I know it basically by heart.
You win some, you lose some, but wow, did Winona Ryder win some. During that era, she was also in Edward Scissorhands and Bram Stoker’s Dracula with Francis Ford Coppola. Additionally, she got two Oscar nominations for The Age of Innocence and Little Women, a few years after the release of Heathers and The Freshman. She then went on to do even more great movies, such as Girl, Interrupted, at the end of the 1990s.
And, now she’s been starring with new young talent as of late, between Jenna Ortega playing her daughter in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, and of course, the cast of Stranger Things. Now, she’s getting ready to return to the Netflix megahit, and we can’t wait to see her on our screens once again.
Clearly, missing out on this part wasn’t too bad in the long run, because she’s been thriving for decades.