Beetlejuice 2 Star Winona Ryder Opens Up On Her Longtime Friendship With Director Tim Burton; ‘You’ve Carried That Torch…’
Winona Ryder recently opened up about her longtime friendship with director Tim Burton, with whom she first collaborated on his iconic 1988 dark fantasy comedy film Beetlejuice.
Ryder shot to superstardom for her remarkable performance in this movie, and she has once again reprised her beloved character, Lydia Deetz, from the original part for its upcoming sequel. Read on for more details!
Winona Ryder and her Beetlejuice 2 co-star Michael Keaton recently attended director Tim Burton’s Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony, where they praised Burton and hailed his directing skills. At the event, Ryder paid tribute to him in her heartfelt speech and reflected on her close bond with the Alice in Wonderland director, expressing, “Tim, your friendship has been such an enormous gift,” adding, “When I met you, I was a weird kid.”
The Haunted Mansion actress further shared that Burton affirmed her voice and helped her “reinforce” her confidence, even when going against the tides of “conformity.” She explained that his creative inclusiveness showed her what true artistic collaboration looked like and made her feel that being a “weird girl” was not only okay but something to “celebrate and even kind of cool.”
The Black Swan actress continued, “You’ve carried that torch for us weirdos, making us all feel seen and valued,” noting that Burton has a beautiful and unique understanding of the human heart. She added that he understands the heartache of “those who are misunderstood, strange, and unusual.”
Ryder mentioned that Burton understands such individuals but celebrates them, whether they are outcasts, oddballs, terrifying, or hilarious. She said that he gives them depth, humor, and a sense of certain “gallantry” while always ensuring they retain their dignity, saying, “His heroes are the very outcasts that he loves.”
ALSO READ: Has The Character Of Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice Evolved Between Two Movies? Creator Tim Burton Has THIS To Say
After her heartfelt speech, Tim Burton also expressed his thoughts on receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, explaining that the location of his star, in front of an iconic Hollywood shop, holds special meaning for him.
Burton shared that as a little kid, he used to visit the Larry Edmunds bookshop and how learning his star’s location brought him close to tears, expressing that having a star in front of such a meaningful place is an “honor.”
ALSO READ: Winona Ryder Reveals How She Lost Major Role In Eternal Sunshine Film Due To THIS Surprising Reason
Winona Ryder and Tim Burton worked on a few film projects, including Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Frankenweenie (for which she lent her voice to the character Elsa Van Helsing). She recently reunited with him for the upcoming film Beetlejuice 2, which will be released in theaters on September 6, 2024.
