Winona Ryder Says Agent Wanted Her To Have No Part In This Iconic ’80s Film

Winona Ryder revealed that her agent begged her not to play Veronica Sawyer in the classic ’80s teen comedy “Heathers.”

The “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” actor, in a game of Harper Bazaar’s “All About Me” with co-star Jenna Ortega, said she “wasn’t considered pretty enough” while auditioning for the role in Los Angeles so she went to the Macy’s in the Beverly Center mall.

“They had them do a makeover on me,” said Ryder, who told Entertainment Weekly back in 2014 that she was “very pale” and had “blue-black dyed hair” at the time, much like her “Beetlejuice” character Lydia Deetz.

She continued, “Then I went back and I was like, ‘Please,’ but my agent at the time literally got down on her knees. She’s like, ‘Please, you’re gonna destroy any chance of a career.’”

Ryder — who was 15 years old at the start of the film’s shoot — took a liking to Veronica’s “outsider” character and reportedly wanted to take on the role for free, according to a 2018 story for i-D UK.

She revealed to Harper’s Bazaar that she lost a job around the release of “Heathers,” too.

“I had been cast in a movie and the director took great offense to it,” said Ryder, who did not name the movie or its filmmaker.

“I think you were better off,” Ortega told Ryder.

“Yeah? I think I made the right call,” Ryder replied.

“Heathers,” after initially being viewed as a box office flop, would later find a cult following and eventually would see both a musical and television adaptation.

You can check out more of Ryder and Ortega’s video with Harper’s Bazaar below: