Winona Ryder named her favourite band of all time
Winona Ryder has established herself as a unique presence within the American film industry. She rose to prominence through her wonderful performances in gems such as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, something that she has acknowledged time and again. In fact, Ryder went as far as to claim that her career would not be possible without Tim Burton.
Ryder has enjoyed an unprecedented revival in recent years, the culmination of which has been her starring role in the incredibly popular Netflix series Stranger Things. While her work with other pioneers such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Jim Jarmusch have been applauded by many, younger fans have discovered her brilliance thanks to the hit sci-fi show.
One of her most memorable performances came in Richard Benjamin’s 1990 comedy-drama Mermaids which starred Cher as a single mother while Ryder featured as Charlotte – a neurotic 15-year-old whose obsession with Catholicism reaches such heights that she fears that God will punish her for expressing her sexuality (with a 26-year-old caretaker).
According to Ryder, the role of Charlotte was fascinating to her because she felt a deep connection to Charlotte’s inherent inconsistency. Ryder understood Charlotte’s mindset extremely well, especially when Charlotte focused on Catholicism on one day but found herself thinking about the adult gardener the next day.
These constant crises of identity had plagued Ryder too which is partly why she had taken on this role. While discussing Mermaids in an interview, Ryder opened up about her favourite band of all time by citing the Replacements as her top pick. “Paul Westerberg is like—I swear, I get teary-eyed when I think about him. If I were to have a hero or a personal god, it would be him,” Ryder explained.
In addition, a particular song by the Replacements had actually helped her prepare for her role in Mermaids. The actress added that it was the Replacements’ Sixteen Blue which provided her with the adequate inspiration for the part. “To me, the song is about inconsistency,” Ryder noted. “It’s about thinking you are crazy—that’s how you feel when you’re sixteen.”
