The actress' actual name is Winona Laura Horrowitz. The first part is the name of a small American town; the second is the name of the wife of writer Aldous Huxley, with whom her father was friends. After the start of her acting career, Winona decided to shorten her name and take another last name. When her family moved to California and Winona went to a new school, she was mistaken for a boy and even beaten. After that she switched to homeschooling. In 2001, the actress was arrested for shoplifting. Inside the bag Winona stole were many expensive items, as well as banned drugs. The proceedings lasted a long time and received a wide publicity. As a result, Ryder had to pay a fine and undergo a rehabilitation course. Although the actress herself claimed that she committed a crime to prepare for a new role. After rehab and the whole shoplifting scandal, Winona's career was on the verge of collapse. Winona did not act for several years, and only returned to the big screen in 2006. Luckily, her career picked up, and a few years later Ryder got a part in 'Stranger Things'.
