Winona Ryder

Born: 29th October 1971
Where: Winona, Minnesota

Born Winona Laura Horowitz, after her hometown, she grew up in a ranch commune in Northern California where there was no electricity. She lived there until the age of ten when she moved near San Francisco with her parents.

She immediately enrolled in acting classes and by 13 she had an audition for the film Desert Bloom, which starred Jon Voight.

Although she didn't get the part, Winona cites this event as her 'big break'.

Director David Seltzer spotted her and cast her in Lucas. When asked how she'd like to have her name written on the credits, she said Ryder as her father's Mitch Ryder album was playing the background.

By this stage Winona was schooled at home to accommodate her blossoming career.

1988 brought her to the forefront of cinema-goers attention in Beetlejuice, her first high profile supporting role.

In 1989 she starred in the cult hit Heathers, and by 1990 she was engaged to Hollywood heart throb Johnny Depp and co-starred with him in Edward Scissorhands.

In the 90's, Winona became emotionally run down and checked into a psychiatric ward for a week to confront severe anxiety attacks.

Two years later she was back on board the Hollywood bandwagon and appeared in Bram Stoker's Dracula, which to this day she refers to as her 'least favorite acting experience.'

She received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination for her role opposite Daniel Day Lewis in The Age Of Innocence, and a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her part in Little Women.

Winona displayed yet another talent as executive producer and star of Girl, Interrupted.

Her career hit something of a low when she was arrested for shoplifting in 2001 and later convicted of the crime.

The star claimed it was part of her research for a role, but this didn't help her escape a sentence of pyschological and drug counselling as well as three years probation.

After mediocre hits S1m0ne, Lost Souls and Mr Deeds, Winona has lined up a number of projects, including The Darwin Awards and A Scanner Darkly, alongside Keanu Reeves.