She was once one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood.
But following her shock arrest for shoplifting in 2001, Winona Ryder has struggled to regain her credibility in the industry.
In a new interview with Porter magazine, the star has reflected on that unfortunate incident, insisting it was actually a blessing in disguise and not the ‘crime of the century’ it was made out to be.
‘Psychologically, I must have been at a place where I just wanted to stop,’ she admits. ‘I won’t get into what happened, but it wasn’t what people think. And it wasn’t like the crime of the century! But it allowed me time that I really needed, where I went back to San Francisco and got back into things that… I just had other interests, frankly.’
Taking time out from the spotlight to find herself, the now 44-year-old reveals she was advised not to do so, for fear of being forgotten.
‘People would tell me, “Oh, you should be doing this or that, and you have to keep working, otherwise people will forget about you,”’ she explains. ‘But I learned to stop listening to those voices.’
Though she did struggle to land acting roles upon her return, the actress has most recently found success with the 1980s-set supernatural thriller Stranger Things.
‘It’s that line in First Wives Club – “There are three ages for women: babe, district attorney and Driving Miss Daisy!” I just never got to play that district attorney!’ she laughs.
‘Acting still excites me. I don’t sleep the day before a new job. I’m sure it’s psychosomatic, but still,’ she continues. ‘You know, what’s great about getting older is you realise that other things are more important than this business. Time is just more precious now.’
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