Born Winona Laura Horowitz in 1971 in Winona, Minnesota, Winona Ryder had a less-than-elegant childhood, but it was full of love. She told Marie Claire in 2017 that her family was poor when she was growing up, so her parents — both writers — compensated with love and affection. She was raised on a commune in California, where her parents were friends with poet Allen Ginsberg. Ryder's godfather was another creative: writer Timothy Leary. "There's that saying, 'you find your family,' but I would have chosen them even if they weren't my parents," she told the publication. "They're my best friends."
Her parents were wary of allowing her to try acting, insisting she could only pursue the hobby as long as she kept her grades up. They even refused to allow her to film during school hours. Ryder's first role was in the 1986 film "Lucas" with Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen, per IMDb, but it wasn't until her third role — as the rebellious teenage goth Lydia in 1988's "Beetlejuice" — that she became well-known in Hollywood.
Only 17 years old at the time, the budding actor thought starring in a blockbuster movie would end the bullying she endured at school. "I remember thinking, 'Ooh, ["Beetlejuice"] is like the No. 1 movie. This is going to make things great at school,'" she told Marie Claire. "But it made things worse. They called me a witch."
