Overview

• In a July 2025 Elle UK cover story, Ryder says female directors once told her “Just relax your forehead” to minimise wrinkles during performances.
• The 53-year-old describes feeling “weird” watching younger co-stars undergo buccal fat removal to preserve a youthful appearance.
• Ryder notes that every role she now receives is for a mother, underscoring how ageing influences casting in Hollywood.
• She tells the Stranger Things cast that “the work is the gift,” encouraging them to focus on craft over the phenomenon ahead of the final season.
• These reflections draw on a career that began with her 1988 breakout in Beetlejuice and relaunched with Stranger Things in 2017.