For Winona Ryder, one of the strangest things of all is how Gen Z actors aren’t actually “interested in movies.”
Ryder, whose own stardom began at age 14 with her film debut in 1986’s “Lucas,” told the Los Angeles Times that the younger generation of stars today don’t respect film history.
“I don’t mean to sound so hopeless,” Ryder said. “There are a few that are just not interested in movies. Like, the first thing they say is, ‘How long is it?’”
And so begins the guessing game of whom Ryder could be referring to.
The “Stranger Things” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” actress quickly started ruling out potential anti-cinephiles, beginning with fellow film-obsessed actress Jenna Ortega. Ryder told the outlet that Ortega referenced Mikhail Kalatozov’s 1964 film “I Am Cuba,” which per LAT “immediately impressed” Ryder.
“Ryder says she almost wept hearing Ortega reference specific shots from the classic,” the piece reads.
Ryder’s “Stranger Things” co-star Finn Wolfhard is a vocal fan of Elliott Gould’s filmography. Sadie Sink and Hollywood royalty Maya Hawke were also ruled out by Ryder.
“I’m not a religious person,” Ryder said. “I’m not anti-religion, but I feel like the closest is film and it’s to me a very sacred thing. I feel so protective, but I’m not in any place to be in control. It’s not up to me.”
One of Ryder’s co-stars who publicly has shared their lack of interest in films is “Stranger Things” breakout star Millie Bobby Brown. The actress/producer went viral when she said she doesn’t really like watching films.
“People come up to me and say, ‘You should definitely watch this movie, it would change your life,’” Brown said. “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.”