Stranger Things: Winona Ryder Shares the Inspiring Advice She Gives to the Young Cast


Stranger Things: Winona Ryder Shares the Inspiring Advice She Gives to the Young Cast

Winona Ryder has revealed the heartfelt advice she’s passed on to the young stars of Stranger Things, and it’s a message about staying grounded, knowing your worth, and remembering why you started.

The award-winning actor, who has played Joyce Byers since the Netflix phenomenon began in 2016, has been a guiding presence both on and off screen. With Stranger Things set to bow out later this year in its fifth and final season, Ryder reflected on what it’s been like mentoring a cast that, for many, grew up in front of the world.

Speaking to Elle, she recalled being “the oldest person on set”, a striking change from the start of her own career when she was the youngest. Ryder burst onto the scene in the late ’80s, earning her first Oscar nomination at just 22 for The Age of Innocence, and her second a year later for Little Women.

Her early career gave her unique insight into what it’s like to be thrust into the spotlight at a young age, something she’s tried to help the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin navigate.

Ryder says she’s always been upfront with the Stranger Things teens about just how unusual their situation is.

“This doesn’t happen. This is weird, the phenomenon. The work is the gift. That is why you’re doing it,” she told them.

It’s a philosophy instilled in her early on by her own mentors, and one she’s been determined to pass along.

“I’ve been trying to change this narrative with the kids because they have it drilled into them that they’re so lucky and that this show ‘made’ them,” Ryder explained.

But for Ryder, the truth is the opposite.

“I’m like, ‘No. Netflix is so lucky. You guys are the special ones. You guys are magic.’”

The cast of Stranger Things has often spoken about the family-like atmosphere on set, and Ryder’s role as both co-star and mentor has been a huge part of that. While her character Joyce is known for her fierce love and protective instincts, it seems Ryder brings much of that same energy to her relationships with her younger co-stars.

With Stranger Things heading toward its highly anticipated final chapter, expected on Netflix in autumn, Ryder’s influence will likely be one of the many things the cast takes with them long after the show ends.

For now, her message remains clear: fame is fleeting, but the work, the craft, and the magic of storytelling are what truly matter.

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