Winona Ryder

She met Johnny Depp in 1989 and became engaged to him in 1990. The couple called off their engagement in 1993.

She was in a relationship with Dave Pirner, the lead singer of Soul Asylum for three years before dating actor Matt Damon for two years.

She was born as Winona Laura Horowitz to Michael Horowitz and Cynthia Palmer. Her father is an author and publisher while her mother is an author and video producer. She has three siblings.

She became an avid reader as a young girl and developed an interest in acting after her mother showed her some movies.

She enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater to receive acting lessons when she was 12 in 1983. She graduated from Petaluma High School in 1989.

She landed her first screen role in 1986 when she was chosen to play a small role in the coming-of-age film ‘Lucas’. It was during this time that she adopted the screen name Winona Ryder.

Her first substantial role came in the form of the character Veronica Sawyer in the black comedy 1988 ‘Heathers’ which parodied teenage suicides. Her performance was critically appreciated and the film soon achieved cult status.

She played Kim, the love-interest of an artificial man named Edward in the romantic fantasy film ‘Edward Scissorhands’ in 1990. The movie was directed by Tim Burton and starred Johnny Depp in the title role. The film was a big commercial hit.

She appeared in the Award winning movie ‘The Age of Innocence’ in 1993 which had been adapted from Edith Wharton’s novel of the same name. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting role.

In 1994 she played the tempestuous Jo in the movie ‘Little Women’ along with Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst. Ryder was nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Actress for this role.

Her role of May Welland in the movie ‘The Age of Innocence’ was much appreciated and earned her an Academy Award nomination. She played a beautiful yet conventional socialite in the movie whose fianc� has second thoughts about marrying her.

Gillian Armstrong’s movie ‘Little Women’ is also among Ryder’s major works. She played Josephine March in the film adaptation of the novel of the same name for which she was critically acclaimed.