Why does Winona Ryder say she gets frustrated with her younger costars?

While no one wants to sound old or complain about how their younger coworkers understand technology better than they do, sometimes it can be tricky for different generations to work together. Winona Ryder has lots of experience filming projects with Gen Z actors… and she has a lot to say about it.

From the exciting sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to Netflix’s Stranger Things, Ryder has worked with some of the biggest young actors. Since she was huge in the ’90s and then made a comeback in the past decade, her perspective on how the industry has changed is fascinating… and her recent comments don’t disappoint at all.

What did Winona Ryder say about her younger costars?

In an August 2024 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Ryder shared her dismay upon learning that her younger costars don’t enjoy watching movies. She admitted that she doesn’t “mean to sound so hopeless” and added that some “are just not interested in movies. Like, the first thing they say is, ‘How long is it?’”

While she didn’t name names (and, yikes, imagine if she did!), Ryder praised Finn Wolfhard for being an Elliot Gould fan. Wolfhard has shared his cinema knowledge before: in a 2016 interview with Scene Creek, he said when he tried out to play Mike Wheeler, he and the Duffer Brothers talked about movies from the ’80s. Similarly, Ryder’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice costar Jenna Ortega also watches movies since she shared that she loves horror movies like Persona, which was released in 1966, and two ’80s flicks, Possession and Prom Night.

So, if Ryder wasn’t referring to Wolfhard or Ortega… who was she talking about? Since nothing is a secret these days, people figured it out pretty quickly.

“I don’t watch movies. People come up to me and say, ‘You should definitely watch this movie, it would change your life’. And I’m like, ‘How long do I have to sit there for?’ Because my brain and I don’t even like sitting for my own movies.”

Brown made these comments in an interview with The Sun following the release of her Netflix film Damsel, and they are just as surprising today as they were then. First of all, who doesn’t like movies?! There’s something so special about getting lost in a funny/moving/scary/pick-your-adjective film, whether you’re cozy on your couch or eating buttery popcorn at your local theater. Secondly, it’s more than a little odd to hear that an actress doesn’t like watching current and older films. Brown has starred in several movies including the upcoming Russo brothers project The Electric State… so isn’t she passionate about the craft of acting? And wouldn’t she want to have at least a basic knowledge of some of the most beloved classic movies and stars?

Ryder attributes her youthful costars’ lack of interest in films to social media… and she’s likely not wrong. In a 2024 interview with Esquire, Ryder said she “cried” upon realizing the younger Stranger Things cast members hadn’t heard of vinyl records. She doesn’t like when people say you need to have social media accounts to be “relevant” and said the younger generation cares too much about followers, having money, and being a celebrity. She said she wants younger people to care about movies because “the history of film, the history of photography, it’s so rich, and there’s so much there.”

I love that Ryder is an old-school movie star who cares about the art of filmmaking and doesn’t post selfies on social media. She didn’t even know what Netflix was when she was approached to play Joyce Byers in Stranger Things, which is honestly hilarious and charming. Brown once said Ryder “thought Snapchat was chips,” which is one of the best things I’ve heard lately. While of course not every Gen Z’er finds it tough to sit through a whole movie, Ryder makes a good point. If you are going to be a young actor in a storied industry, it’s important to familiarize yourself with its history. That includes watching the classics.