Winona Ryder reveals why she was dropped from a Marlon Brando film

Winona Ryder shares how 'Heathers' cost her role alongside Marlon Brando.

Winona Ryder is reflecting on how one of her most iconic early roles nearly ended her career before it began. In a recent interview with Elle UK, the actress revealed that her decision to star in the 1988 cult classic Heathers cost her a major role opposite screen legend Marlon Brando — a consequence that industry insiders warned her about.

As a teenager, Ryder was advised by her team not to take the role of Veronica Sawyers, the sharp-tongued protagonist in Heathers, a dark comedy about a murderous high school clique. “My agent at the time literally got down on her knees begging me not to do it,” Ryder previously told Harper’s Bazaar. “She said, ‘You’re going to destroy any chance of a career.’”

Despite the warnings, Ryder took the role — and quickly saw fallout. She was dropped from the 1990 crime comedy The Freshman, which starred Brando and Matthew Broderick. “They thought it was making fun of teen suicide. They were deeply offended and, yeah, they revoked the offer,” she said. “I’m like, ‘I can’t work with Marlon Brando?’ I had to stand my ground. I wasn’t gonna apologize.”

Heathers was polarizing at the time but ultimately became a cult favorite and a defining moment in Ryder’s career. “I never turn off Heathers if it’s on. I know it basically by heart,” she said, expressing no regrets.

Producer Denise Di Novi told Variety that Ryder was “very brave and unusual” to take on such a controversial role, describing her as “an amazing 15-year-old” who became obsessed with the script.

Though The Freshman was a missed opportunity, Ryder’s gamble on Heathers proved to be a bold move that solidified her reputation as a fearless and unconventional talent.