Stranger Things' Winona Ryder admits young co-stars left her 'in tears' during season 1

Stranger Things star Winona Ryder, who plays Joyce Byers on the popular Netflix show, has confessed she “cried” when her young co-stars weren’t able to identify a vinyl record. The actress, who also recently returned to Tim Burton’s dark fantasy world in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, said the incident occurred while they were filming the very first season.

In fairness, the child cast of Stranger Things - Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin — were all between the ages of 10 and 14 at the time. In an interview with Esquire, Ryder professed her love for vinyl and record players, conceding that her love of analogue media is not the norm nowadays.

Ryder is a proud pop culture addict and stressed the importance of young stars learning the history of cinema, explaining: “It’s like it’s my religion.” She also stated her regret that some young actors and directors tend to ignore the importance of old films.

During the interview, the Heathers star also spoke of her love of physical things, including books and records, which is why the moment with her young co-stars made her so emotional. She recalled holding up a vinyl record on the set of the first season of Stranger Things back in 2016, only for the children to admit they didn’t know what it was.

I cried,” she said, adding that the “greatest sound in the world” is that of the needle hitting the groove. She went on to explain how she feels social media has altered the way young people interact with culture.

“I just think that social media has changed everything, and I know I sound old. I’m very aware of that,” she explained.

“And part of me thinks, ‘Gosh, am I like vaudeville at this point?’ Like [elderly lady voice], ‘Hey, kids, turn down the music!’”

She then admitted: “I just think there was such an abundance: the history of film, the history of photography, it’s so rich, and there’s so much there, and I don’t mean we should go backwards, but I wish and I hope that the younger generation will study that.”

Stranger Things is set to release its fifth and final season sometime in 2025, with the gang teaming up one more time to protect the small town of Hawkins from the horrors that lie in the Upside Down.

Meanwhile, the Beetlejuice film sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is being aired around 35 years on from when the last movie was released in 1988.

The sequel stars Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O'Hara reprising their roles alongside new cast members Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will hit UK cinemas on September 6, while Stranger Things season 5 will be released on Netflix in 2024.