Winona Ryder Net Worth

Winona Ryder is an American actress with a net worth of $18 million. Over her career spanning more than three decades, Ryder has remained one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, known for her mix of vulnerability, edge, and versatility. From her breakout roles in the 1980s and 1990s to her career resurgence with Netflix’s Stranger Things, Ryder has earned critical acclaim, major award nominations, and a devoted fan base across generations.

Winona Ryder Net Worth: $18 Million
Date of Birth: October 29, 1971
Place of Birth: Winona, Minnesota
Nationality: American
Profession: Actress

Table of Contents

Early Life

Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz on October 29, 1971, in Winona, Minnesota. She adopted the stage name “Ryder” from soul and rock singer Mitch Ryder when asked how she wanted her name to appear in the credits of her first film. Her upbringing was unconventional—her family lived for several years on a commune in California with no electricity before moving to Petaluma. As a child, she was an avid reader and later joined acting classes at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Despite being bullied at school, Ryder pursued her love for acting, setting the stage for her early Hollywood success.

Career

Ryder made her film debut in Lucas (1986), but it was her role as goth teenager Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) that brought her recognition. She followed this with Heathers (1989), a dark comedy that became a cult classic. These roles quickly established her as one of Hollywood’s most promising young talents.

In the early 1990s, Ryder solidified her status with a series of acclaimed performances. She starred in Edward Scissorhands (1990) alongside Johnny Depp, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), and Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence (1993), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and earned an Academy Award nomination. She received another Oscar nomination in 1994 for her role as Jo March in Little Women.

Career Challenges and Comeback

While Ryder was one of Hollywood’s top actresses of the 1990s, her career slowed in the 2000s following personal struggles, including a highly publicized 2001 shoplifting arrest. Though she continued to act in projects like A Scanner Darkly (2006) and Star Trek (2009), she stayed mostly out of the spotlight.

Her major comeback arrived in 2016 with Stranger Things. Playing Joyce Byers, a determined mother searching for her missing son, Ryder earned praise from critics and audiences alike. The show’s massive global success introduced her to a younger generation of fans and restored her status as a Hollywood A-lister.

Stranger Things Salary

Ryder’s role in Stranger Things has been a significant source of her wealth. For the first two seasons, she earned $100,000 per episode, totaling about $1.7 million. Ahead of season three, her salary jumped to $350,000 per episode, bringing in around $3 million for the season. For season five, she reportedly secured a massive deal worth $9.5 million for eight episodes—nearly $1.2 million per episode.

Accolades

Throughout her career, Ryder has earned critical recognition and awards. She has won a Golden Globe Award and received two Academy Award nominations. She also has seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

Personal Life

Ryder’s personal life has often been in the spotlight. She was famously engaged to Johnny Depp in the early 1990s and has also dated musician Dave Pirner and actor Matt Damon. Since 2011, she has been in a long-term relationship with fashion designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn.

Real Estate

Ryder has invested in several high-value properties. In 1995, she purchased a historic home in San Francisco for $1.3 million, which she later listed for sale in 2020 for $5 million. She re-listed the home in 2024 for $5.9 million, though she continues to hold ownership as of late 2024, even renting it out at $21,000 per month.

Beyond San Francisco, Ryder has owned homes in Los Angeles and New York, including a Spanish-style estate in Los Angeles purchased in 1998 for $2.6 million and sold in 2011 for $3.7 million. In 2016, she bought another Los Angeles residence for $2.2 million, which remains her primary home.