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Winona Ryderhad already made a name for herself in the entertainment industry prior to the release ofMartin Scorsese’sThe Age of Innocencein 1993. At that point, she already hadBeetlejuice,Heathers,Edward Scissorhands, andBram Stoker’s Draculaunder her belt. But it still made for a major profile booster.
After all,she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying May Welland, the possessor of the title’s innocence. It’s a performance that gained her even more clout, and by the time the next year’s ceremony rolled around, she was nominated forLittle Women, that time for Best Actress. That remains her most recent nomination to date.
It’s also a role that Ryder is quite fond of. As was the experience of working with director Scorsese. One gets the feeling she’d drop whatever her current project is to work with him again. And, considering they’re both still active in the industry and her clout is as strong as it’s ever been, never say never. Why? Because when the legendary helmer ofRaging Bullreceived the American Film Institute’s AFI Life Achievement Award back in 1997, she made clear the respect she holds for him in a major way.
Martin Scorsese Is a Fantastic Filmmaker
The ceremony saw many past and frequent Scorsese collaborators, including Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, and Joe Pesci, sing the auteur’s praises. Even Don Rickles managed to be nice and sincere for a few minutes. But Ryder’s words proved to be the most poignant.
“There is no other filmmaker in the world that talks so extensively about other filmmakers than you…You always leave out one person, and it’s really starting to aggravate me because, you know, I think that he is the best director in the world. And I think that if you weren’t Martin Scorsese you’d really love Martin Scorsese…I really think that you’re the best director in the world, you gave me the most incredible experience of my life and I will cherish it forever….”
Her words express reverence for him, surely, and it’s no small compliment, considering she worked with Coppola onBram Stoker’s Draculajust one year beforeThe Age of Innocence.But the tone in which she conveys her point nearly breaks the listener’s heart. And many collaborators and cinephiles would be quick to agree with her. After all, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director forRaging Bull,The Last Temptation of Christ,Goodfellas,Gangs of New York,The Aviator,The Departed(his one Best Director win to date),Hugo,The Wolf of Wall Street,The Irishman, andKillers of the Flower Moon.
Martin Scorsese Has Seen So Much Success
With his tenth nomination forKillers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese became the most-nominated living director. Ofhis 26 feature films,ninewere nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. That list includes all of the aforementioned films save forThe Last Temptation of Christ. That sterling record for nominations isn’t a surprise, but what is a surprise is the fact that he only won forThe Departed(as is the fact that it’s his only movie to win Best Picture).
Winona Ryder’s Beetlejuice 2 Press Tour Might Be Controversial, but She’s Right
Winona Ryder’s interview for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice discusses the Stranger Things cast and the younger generation not appreciating classic cinema.
Ryder can currently be seen on the big screen in Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceand will return to the world of Netflix’sStranger Thingsfor its fifth season, with a tentative and unspecified 2025 release date. Her comments about Scorsese at his AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony follow below. And, considering herBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceco-starJenna Ortega wants it, perhaps Ryder will one day pop up in an episode ofWednesday.
