POLL: Pick Your Favorite Winona Ryder Roles in Movies + TV

Originally published March 20, 2026. This article covers Winona Ryder’s most popular roles in movies and television.

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From her unmistakable voice to her ultra expressive eyes, Winona Ryder is a modern screen legend. She’s taken part in so many iconic stories and franchises that the list just keeps going. Over the years, Winona Ryder has built up an impressive repertoire of dramatic roles.

In the late ’80s, she immortalized teenage cruelty with Heathers. Then, in the early ’90s, she starred alongside Cher and Christina Ricci in Mermaids and took the lead role of Jo March in a star-studded cast for Little Women. Years later, she would also feature in psychological thrillers like Girl, Interrupted and Black Swan.

With the recent announcement that Winona Ryder will be joining Tim Burton’s Wednesday series on Netflix, it’s time to look back at her geekier roles. Whether it’s sci-fi, horror, fantasy, or some strange mix of the three, Winona Ryder has been in some of the biggest, geekiest cult classics. Tell us your favorite below then stick around for a deeper dive into each entry!

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Beetlejuice (1988)

As the quintessential goth teen Lydia Deetz, Winona shines in her all-black ensembles. Despite hiding behind the doom and gloom, she brings so much heart to a movie all about the afterlife. And Beetlejuice was only her third film! This would become Winona Ryder’s breakout role and the start to a long working partnership with director Tim Burton.

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Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Just two years later, Winona Ryder starred with Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s gothic fantasy Edward Scissorhands. Though many people look the other way from the titular misshapen invention, Ryder’s Kim Boggs sees the man within the machine. Her patient love for Edward once again adds layers of compassion to a story all about monstrous appearances.

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Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

For a story as timeless as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the stakes are pretty high for getting it just right. Francis Ford Coppola achieves a visually stunning adaptation of the eternal horror novel. From breathtaking costuming to deadly yearning, everything in this film is fearfully seductive. And, of course, Winona Ryder’s Mina Murray strikes the perfect balance between innocence and something a bit darker.

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Alien: Resurrection (1997)

While this might not be one of the more popular entries in the Alien franchise, Alien: Resurrection is still a classic choice for sci-fi horror. Plus, Winona Ryder’s Annalee Call is a vital piece in the system. The movie is sleek yet gritty, saturated in grimy sepia, and an important Alien movie in terms of in-universe lore.

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Star Trek (2009)

Winona Ryder is especially adept at bringing humanity to otherworldly characters. In J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009), she does that for Spock, the highly logical Vulcan aboard the USS Enterprise. Spock has always struggled to balance his Vulcan heritage with his human heritage. Both are, more often than not, completely at odds with each other. Yet Winona Ryder’s empathetic Amanda Grayson is the perfect choice to help Spock bridge that gap.

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Stranger Things (2016-2025)

As one of her more recent roles, Winona Ryder adds, as always, powerful pathos to an on-screen world of dark fantasy. In Stranger Things, she plays Joyce Byers, a mom of two who is faced with alternate dimensions, grotesque monsters, and plenty of heartbreak. But her quiet, unwavering strength is an anchor amid all the chaos.

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What’s your favorite Winona Ryder role and why?

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