Sleepy Hollow
Throughout much of her career , Winona Ryder has enjoyed vast popularity in Hollywood , allowing her to ferment down multiple major motion picture roles . Ryder lose momentum in 2001 after she was caught shoplifting over $ 5,000 worth of apparel and accessories from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills , and a very public trial espouse . She step back from acting at the time but has since return , seem as an unhinged ballerina inBlack Swanandplaying Spock ’s motherin J.J. Abrams’Star Trek . But it ’s her purpose as Joyce Byers on Netflix’sStranger Thingsthat has thrust Ryder steadfastly back into the spot .
Ryder was just 13 years oldwhen she made her big - filmdom debut in the movieLucas . Her carrying out caught the oculus of Tim Burton , who cast her as the end - obsess , and"strange and unusual"Lydia Deets inBeetlejuice . Ryder get going on to asterisk in thecult favoriteHeathersandGreat Balls of Fire , a biopic about instrumentalist Jerry Lee Lewis and his nipper St. Brigid . After the 1990 filmsWelcome Home , Roxy Carmichael , Edward Scissorhands , andMermaids , Ryder sought out more grownup menu , appearing in two - menstruation piecesBram Stoker ’s DraculaandThe Age of Innocence . The latter earned her an Oscar nominating speech for Best fend for Actress . She became the Generation X poster child thanks to her role as Lelaina Pierce inReality Bites , and donned half-slip once more to act Jo March in the 1994 big - screen version ofLittle Women . Her other film credits includeGirl , Interrupted , Alien : Resurrection , Autumn in New York , andMr . Deeds .
Ryder has been in contention for several mellow - profile roles . Jerry Maguiredirector Cameron Crowerejected Ryder after he decided she and Tom Cruise expect too much like brother and sis and throw Renee Zellweger instead . She was also considered forFight Club , Almost famed , Chicago , andShakespeare In Love(Hollywood caption has it Gwyneth Paltrow steal the part from Ryder , her best friend at the time . ) When it follow to actors and missed chance , it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction . While it ’s been report that Ryder turn down the role of Shelby inSteel Magnolias , director Herbert Ross - though charmed by Ryder - reportedly wanted an old actress and offered the part to Meg Ryan beforesettling on Julia Roberts . The reasons an role player turns down a part can range from illness to scheduling conflict to disliking a handwriting . Here are five major roles that Ryder in reality turned down during her life history .
The Object of My Affection
The Object of My Affectionis a 1998 film about a woman , Nina , who falls in love with her festal good friend , George . The pic is based on Stephen McCauley ’s 1987 novel . Wendy Wasserstein , who gain ground the Pulitzer Prize for her 1989 playThe HeidiChronicles , wrote the screenplay . consort toEW , actress bind to the role of Nina throughout the yr included Debra Winger , Uma Thurman , Kyra Sedwick , and Ryder . Jennifer Aniston , who had yet to achieve succeeder on the large screenland , finally down the part ( Paul Rudd was throw as George ) . The film was directed by Nicholas Hytner , who also steer Ryder inThe Crucible .
Interestingly , one of the role player considered to encounter George was Keanu Reeves , who had starred with Winona Ryder in Francis Ford Coppola’sBram Stoker ’s Dracula.(The two haveco - starred in three further movies.)The target of My Affectionwas wide panned by critic and grossed $ 29 million domestically . purportedly , Ryder passed onThe Object of My Affection . At the prison term she was take out double duty , set to star inGirl , Interrupted , and serving as executive manufacturer on the photographic film alongsideDouglas Wick . The twosome expend five years seek to get the cinema made , and it was Ryder who set about James Mangold to direct . A playscript was finalized in mid-1998 , but the shooting was push until 1999 so that Ryder could filmLost Souls . In this instance , it come along Ryder chose to prosecute her cacoethes project over appearing inThe Object of My Affection .
Director Tim Burton devote Ryder her big pause when he cast her as Lydia inBeetlejuice . She reunited with the director to star inEdward Scissorhands . Because of their successful collaborative history , it made gumption that Burton would want Ryder to work Katrina inSleepy Hollow , his interpretation of Washington Irving ’s short storyThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow . However , Ryder turned down the role .
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Burton began shootingSleepy Hollowin 1998 around the same sentence as the release of Woody Allen’sCelebrity , in which Ryder plays the lineament of Nola . Sleepy Hollow , likeThe Object of My Affection , appeared to battle with Ryder ’s prior dedication toGirl , Interrupted , andLost mortal . Another possible reason Ryder passed on the part is that it would have reunited her with her X Johnny Depp , whom she was engaged to for three years before the couple broke up in 1993 . Much of Ryder ’s work in the other ' 90 was eclipse by her relationship with Depp . Female actors seem to be defined more by high-pitched - visibility romances than their career choices , and if Ryder had co - star with Depp , it would have draw focus from the moving picture itself . The part of Katrina went to Christina Ricci , who co - starred with Ryder inMermaids .
Sabrina
The originalSabrinais , by all history , a classic . The Billy Wilder movie say the level of two moneyed comrade ( played by Humphrey Bogart and Willaim Holden ) vying for the affection of the chauffeur ’s daughter ( work by Audrey Hepburn ) . Jay Cocks , who wrote the version forThe Age of Innocence , narrate theNew York Timesin 1999 that Ryder had wrick down the claim role in the remake . He also stated Ryder had rejected offering to reprise other Hepburn role .
Ryder , whose waifish frame and finespun features are reminiscent of Hepburn ’s , met the fabled actress when she was 18 . It ’s rumored that Ryder passed onSabrinabecause she mat up she could n’t live up to Hepburn ’s performance . Julia Ormond scent up taking the role . Whatever Ryder ’s cause for turn down the project , they saved her from starring in a boxful government agency disappointment . Sabrinaonly gross $ 87 million worldwide .
The Godfather: Part III
Ryder was cast as Al Pacino ’s daughter Mary Corleone inThe Godfather : Part III , but gage out at the last hour . allot to an clause in theLA Times , Ryder ’s decision triggered talk of a nervous breakdown , pregnancy , or doubts about the use . Ryder had a less raunchy account :
" I ’d done three films in a row : Great glob of Fire … Roxy Carmichael and Mermaids . Right after [ Mermaids ] wrapped , I flew to Rome with a terrible upper - respiratory contagion and a 104 - degree fever . I literally could n’t move . The studio Dr. told me to go home , said I was too sick to function . It was n’t my choice . It was out of my hand . Sure it ’s dissatisfactory , devastating in fact . I wish it did n’t bechance . . . but it did . "
The Godfather : IIIfailed to attain the same critical acclaim as its forerunner , and much of the inculpation flow on Ryder ’s replacement , Sofia Coppola , who was roam by her father , Francis Ford Coppola . accord toEW , the manager ’s first alternative was Julia Roberts , who had already committed toFlatliners . Madonna filmdom - screen for the role but was deemed too honest-to-god . There were other job with the picture show , but it gross over $ 136 million worldwide ( the second film in the trilogy only pulled in $ 48 million worldwide . )
The Wicker Man
Director Neil LaBute teamed up with Nicholas Cage forThe Wicker Man , a remaking of the 1973 repulsion film of the same name , which was inspired by David Pinner ’s 1967 novelRitual . Cage plays Edward Malus , who goes searching for the girl of his X - fiance , Willow . What he find is an island of neo - pagans who plan to burn the girl as part of a ritual forfeit . In an consultation with theChicago Sun - TimesLaBute revealed his first choices for the role of Willow were Ryder and Angelina Jolie ( Ryder ’s co - star topology inGirl , Interrupted ) . Ryder supposedly detest the handwriting and turned down the persona . Kate Beahan was finally range in the part .
Ryder may have shy aside from the role because of Polly Klaus . The 12 - year - old female child was kidnap from Ryder ’s hometown of Petaluma , California , in 1993 , and Ryder bid a $ 200,000 reward to aid find the girl . Richard Allen Davis confessed to choke Klaus , and the case impacted Ryder deep . In 2014 , the actress toldHollywood.comshe oft turns down roles that depict tike maltreatment . The Wicker Manwas a huge bust , gross only $ 38 million worldwide vs. its $ 40 million yield budget . The film was critically malign , though remembered for its unintentionally funny moments , and Cage himself called the film"absurd . “It was very wise of Ryder to skip this one .
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