Winona Ryder (file) (Image: (Image: GETTY))
She shot to fame with her unforgettable role in Beetlejuice, yet it’s only now dawning on many that isn’t actually her real name.
Hailing from Winona County, Minnesota, the star launched her acting endeavours back in 1985 by submitting a videotape audition for Desert Bloom.
Although she was passed over for the part, director David Seltzer saw potential and gave her a spot in the teen drama Lucas, which featured Corey Haim, , and Kerri Green.
Winona caught the eye of the renowned Tim Burton through this role and he later cast her as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice, where she shone alongside Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, and Michael Keaton.
But it was when filming Lucas that Winona came up with a new persona on a whim – not knowing the impact it would have on her career. Rather than use her real name Winona Laura Horowitz, she decided to be known professionally as Winona Ryder, prompting a confused Quora user to ask: “Why doesn’t Winona Ryder use her real last name?”
Winona Ryder and David Harbour of ‘Stranger Things’ accept the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the SAG awards (Image: Getty Images)
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According to : “The actress changed her last name from Horowitz when asked how she would like to have her name appear on the credits of her first role. She suggested Ryder as Mitch Ryder’s album was playing in the background.”
However, Charlie Sheen claims he was the one who pointed her in the direction of this time, recalling a similar story. A statement on reads: “Charlie Sheen has claimed that he came up with Winona Ryder’s stage name.
“The 46-year-old actor told the YES Network show CenterStage that before Ryder landed her first major role, he came up with the name. We were listening to The Doors, to ‘Riders on the Storm’,” he explained. “[Winona’s] real name is Horowitz, and I said, ‘You know, I’m thinking Winona Ryder sounds cool’, and she was like, ‘Yeah!’.”
However, Sheen added that Ryder has refused to acknowledge his contribution. “[She] never, never gave me credit to this day!,” he joked.
Commenting on her stage name, one Quora user said: “All of Winona’s names sound great to me.”
Another user added: “Some real names are too long. Some real names don’t sound well when used. An alternative is to use short names instead. Many actors prefer to use their real names and have become very popular.”