Winona Ryder recently spoke about her longtime friendship with director Tim Burton, whom she first worked with on the iconic 1988 dark fantasy comedy film Beetlejuice.
Ryder has become a superstar for her remarkable performance in the film, and she once again reprises her much-loved character Lydia Deetz from the original part in its upcoming sequel. Read on for more details!
Winona Ryder and her Beetlejuice 2 co-star Michael Keaton recently attended director Tim Burton’s Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony, where they praised Burton and applauded his directing skills. At the event, Ryder paid tribute to him in an emotional speech and reflected on her close bond with the Alice in Wonderland director, saying, “Tim, your friendship is a huge gift,” and added, “When I met you, I was a weird kid.”
The Haunted Mansion actress further explained that Burton affirmed her voice and helped “strengthen” her confidence even while going against the currents of “conformity.” She explained that his creative inclusivity showed her what true artistic collaboration looks like and made her realize that being the “weird girl” was not only okay but something to be “celebrated and even cool.”
“You’ve carried that torch for weird people like us, making us all feel seen and valued,” the Black Swan actress continued, adding that Burton has a beautiful and unique understanding of the human heart. She added that he “understands the heartache of people who are misunderstood, weird and abnormal.”
Ryder explained that Burton understands such people but celebrates them, whether they are outcasts, weirdos, scary or funny. He said he gives them a sense of depth, humor and a certain “heroism”, while always ensuring they retain their dignity, adding, “His heroes are those outcasts he loves.”
Also read: Has Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice character evolved between the two films? Says producer Tim Burton
Following his emotional speech, Tim Burton also shared his thoughts on receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and how his star’s location in front of an iconic Hollywood store holds special meaning to him.
Burton said he used to visit Larry Edmonds’ bookstore when he was a child and was moved to tears when he found out the location of his star. He said it was an “honor” to have the star in front of such an important location.
Also read: Winona Ryder reveals how she lost lead role in Eternal Sunshine movie for this surprising reason
Winona Ryder and Tim Burton collaborated on a few film projects, including Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Frankenweenie (for which she voiced the character of Elsa Van Helsing). She recently reunited with him for the upcoming film Beetlejuice 2, which will be released in theaters on September 6, 2024.
