Winona Ryder recently told Elle UK that she was warned against starring in “Heathers” as a teen actor. Her team told her she would “never work again” if she signed on to play Veronica Sawyers in the 1988 dark comedy, which centers on a high school clique upended by a new student who starts murdering his classmates. Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty co-star in the cult classic.
“I did lose a job,” Ryder told the publication, noting that her team was technically right about “Heathers” potentially having a negative impact on her career. Although she was hesitant to name the project, Ryder eventually revealed she was dropped from the 1990 crime comedy “The Freshman.” It was a big deal considering Marlon Brando was the star.
“They thought it was making fun of teen suicide,” Ryder said of “The Freshman” team. “They were deeply offended and, yeah, they revoked the offer… I’m like, ‘I can’t work with Marlon Brando?’ I had to stand my ground. I wasn’t gonna apologize.”
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Fortunately, “The Freshman” was the only role Ryder lost out on because of “Heathers.” The movie remains a cornerstone of her career. She added: “I never turn off ‘Heathers’ if it’s on. I know it basically by heart.”
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar last year, Ryder remembered that her “agent at the time literally got down on her knees” to beg her not to star in “Heathers.” The actor added: “She’s like, ‘Please, you’re gonna destroy any chance of a career.’ I think I made the right call.”
“Heathers” producer Denise Di Novi once told Variety that “everybody thought we were crazy to make the movie,” but Ryder was “so smart, very brave and unusual” in not listening to all the chatter telling her not to star in the movie.
“She was this amazing 15-year-old, if you can believe it,” Di Novi added at the time. “Winona got obsessed with the script.”
Head over to Elle UK‘s website to read Ryder’s latest profile in its entirety.
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