Winona Ryder disappeared from Hollywood for several years following her December 2001 arrest for shoplifting and the harsh fame that came with it.
Ryder, 52, who has previously discussed her arrest, gave an update on the aftermath of the incident in an interview with Esquire. When asked about how she handled her arrest, she told the magazine, “I checked out. I guess I just checked out.”
Ryder is returning to the big screen as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice . Her role in 1988 alongside Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara in many ways launched her career.
Following her role in Tim Burton’s production, Ryder became a highly sought-after actress in the 1990s, and starred in films such as The Age of Innocence, Little Women, Girl, Interrupted, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and others.
The actress was accused of stealing $5,500 worth of clothes from a Saks Fifth Avenue location in Beverly Hills, California. A year later, in December 2001, she was convicted of grand theft and shoplifting, and was required to do community service and received a three-year probation period along with a fine. After quitting performing, she moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
However, Ryder told the outlet that the atmosphere had changed when she returned to Hollywood. “There was a period of time when I wasn’t in the season,” she recalled. This lasted for maybe ten, twelve or fifteen years, and it was in line with everything that happened in her life. However, if you look at the years from 2000-2010, well, wow!
Winona returned to the screen in the late 2000s, playing several small roles in films such as Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. However, the Winonaissance didn’t really begin until she landed the role of Joyce Byers in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.
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