Career
Hurdles Ahead for Winona?
LOS ANGELES (AP) After her conviction for stealing clothes,
actress Winona Ryder may have to steal some scenes to salvage
her career.
Ryder can follow the examples of Halle Berry and Hugh Grant,
two scandal-plagued stars whose careers quickly recovered, as
she tries to persuade the public to forgive and forget.
"(Ryder) needs to prove again that she's a good actress
and keep herself in the public eye while making sure this is
not the last thing people remember about her," said Marla
Matzer Rose, marketing reporter for The Hollywood Reporter.
"There will be a short-term effect on the price she's
offered to be in pictures," Rose added. "The smart
thing to do would be a juicy role in an independent film instead
of going for a big, megabucks Hollywood film."
After Berry pleaded no contest to a charge that she left the
scene of a February 2000 car collision, she changed the subject
by raising eyebrows with a topless scene in the thriller "Swordfish"
and impressing critics with the somber "Monster's Ball"
performance that won her an Academy Award.
Berry successfully swept aside the scandal and is now one of
Hollywood's top performers, with a starring role in the upcoming
James Bond film "Die Another Day."
Grant's appearance on "The Tonight Show" in 1995
shortly after his arrest with a prostitute helped defuse the
scandal. Grant made a public apology and accepted responsibility
for his actions - something Ryder has not done.
"I did a bad thing," Grant told host Jay Leno. "There
you have it."
Ryder's troubles come at a time when her career has been on
the downslide and - at age 31 - she has outgrown many of the
youthful roles that made her famous.
Some of Ryder's most recent projects, including the Satanic
thriller "Lost Souls," the heartbreak romance "Autumn
in New York" and the futuristic Hollywood satire "Simone,"
were box office disappointments. The summer comedy "Mr.
Deeds" was a hit, but most of the credit went to star Adam
Sandler since Ryder's role was overshadowed by her theft case.
As Ryder has matured, she has experienced the same career
decline as the 1980s teen-movie icon Molly Ringwald. Ryder had
Oscar nominations for "Little Women" and "The
Age of Innocence" but is mostly known for playing melancholy
youths in films such as "Girl, Interrupted," "Beetlejuice,"
"Heathers" and "Edward
Scissorhands."
"(Ryder) has always been seen as an ingenue, but she's
over 30 now and needs to transition to roles that showcase her
as a mature actress," Rose said. "Doing that anytime
is difficult enough, but doing it while there's this rap on
you - that's going to be harder."
Although Ryder does not have a current film in the works, she
has continued to receive offers even this week, according to
her spokeswoman, Mara Buxbaum.
"No one has withdrawn offers (since the verdict),"
Buxbaum
added. "Hollywood is such a forgiving community that unless
it's some sort of heinous crime, the industry is incredibly
supportive."
Ryder is developing the circus-themed film "Roustabout"
with the production firm MDP Worldwide, and company president
Mark Damon has said her criminal case would have little effect
on the production.
Depending on details of her probation, however, Ryder could
face difficulty traveling to location shoots, which may limit
her options.
Some speculated the felony conviction would prevent Ryder's
films from securing insurance, but experts say she will likely
be eligible for standard policies.
"This jury decision would not necessarily put the kibosh
on any film in which Ms. Ryder starred, but it would prompt
a lot of questions that only she could answer ... about likelihood
of reoccurrence," said John Kozero, spokesman for Fireman's
Fund Insurance Co., which provides policies to the film industry.
