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Winona Ryder Says Tim Burton Helped Her Embrace Being a ‘Weird Girl’: ‘Reinforced My Confidence to Be Myself’
Sep
The actress was a teen when she starred in Burton’s Beetlejuice.
Winona Ryder took a moment to honor director Tim Burton during his Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony on Tuesday, reflecting on their long-standing friendship and professional collaboration. Ryder, who starred in Burton’s Beetlejuice as a teenager, shared how the director played a pivotal role in shaping her confidence and self-acceptance.
“Tim, your friendship has been such an enormous gift,” Ryder said from the podium. “When I met you, I was a weird kid.”
Burton, known for his distinctive style in films like Big Fish and 1989’s Batman, humorously responded that Ryder was now a “weird adult,” a sentiment she embraced wholeheartedly. Ryder then expressed her gratitude for Burton’s influence on her life and career.
“You affirmed my voice. You reinforced my confidence to be myself, to go against the tides of conformity,” said Ryder, now 52. “Your creative inclusiveness showed me what true artistic collaboration looked like, and, in other words, you made being a weird girl not just okay, but something to celebrate and even kind of cool.”
Ryder and Burton first collaborated on Beetlejuice in 1988, followed by Edward Scissorhands in 1990 and the animated film Frankenweenie in 2012. Throughout these projects, Burton’s ability to portray and celebrate the misunderstood and the outcast deeply resonated with Ryder.
“You’ve carried that torch for us weirdos, making us all feel seen and valued,” Ryder said, praising Burton’s unique understanding of characters who are often sidelined by society. “He knows the heartache of the misunderstood, the strange and unusual,” she continued, referencing her iconic Beetlejuice character, Lydia Deetz. “He doesn’t just understand them, he celebrates them… he gives them depth, humor, and always a certain gallantry. And he gives them their dignity. His heroes are the very outcasts that he loves.”
The actress also touched on Burton’s enduring interest in revisiting the Beetlejuice story, a project that has finally come to fruition with the upcoming release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The film, starring Ryder alongside Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux, is set to open on Friday.
Burton’s ability to make the weird and the wonderful central to his stories has not only defined his career but also left a lasting impact on those who have worked with him, particularly Ryder, who found in him a kindred spirit and mentor who encouraged her to embrace her unique self.
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