Winona Ryder wishes her younger costars would share in her passion for cinema.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times ahead of the release of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the actress sang the praises of costar and it-girl, Jenna Ortega, and her deep-cut film fanaticism. Per the outlet, Ryder “almost wept” when Ortega pulled out a reference to the 1964 film “I Am Cuba.”
But while Ryder celebrates Ortega and “Stranger Things” costar Finn Wolfhard’s cinephile tendencies, she says young people could stand to do better when it comes to knowing their history.
“I don’t mean to sound so hopeless,” she said. “There are a few that are just not interested in movies. Like, the first thing they say is, ‘How long is it?’”
In another interview with Esquire Magazine pegged to the release of their shared film, Ryder touched upon more serious matters, having opened up to Ortega about her harrowing industry experience, and how the re-telling of it helped her process her feelings.
The “Edward Scissorhands” actress detailed her run-in with Harvey Weinstein — which left her black-listed from Miramax — and instances of sexual harassment by other industry figures in her twenties and thirties. Ryder explained her moment of clarity during a conversation with the “Wednesday” star.
“As I was saying it, I was like, ‘Jesus Christ, that’s really f**ked up,’” Ryder said. “If someone was being inappropriate or drunkenly hitting on me it was like, ‘Ha ha! . . . You kind of do that. ‘Ha ha!’ Inappropriate? I dealt with that. But touching me? It felt very invasive.”
Ortega and Ryder also shared a touching moment on Wednesday, when the young actress stood up for Ryder after a photographer demanded the “Heathers” star remove her sunglasses.
“No, you don’t have to,” Ortega said, as Ryder moved to remove the glasses.