Winona Ryder Reflects on Audition Experience with Jeff Bridges on Podcast

In a recent episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, actress Winona Ryder shared her experiences during the audition for the 1993 film Fearless, in which she worked alongside actor Jeff Bridges.

During the podcast, Ryder recounted that Bridges, whom she admires, declined to kiss her during a pivotal scene in the audition. She noted that the reason he provided was due to her young age, saying, ‘he wouldn’t kiss me because I was too young.’

At the time of the audition, Ryder was in her early twenties. She explained that at the end of the scene, Bridges was supposed to kiss her but refused, as she reminded him of his daughter’s age. The film Fearless, directed by Peter Weir, features Bridges in the role of a plane crash survivor whose life is dramatically changed following the disaster.

Alongside discussing her audition for Fearless, Ryder also talked about her desire to work on the Coen brothers’ film The Hudsucker Proxy. Expressing her admiration for the directors, Ryder stated, ‘I worshipped the Coen brothers obviously, as does everyone,’ and shared her disappointment at not landing a role in the 1994 comedy.

Interestingly, after their audition for Fearless, Bridges eventually collaborated with the Coen brothers in the iconic film The Big Lebowski, where he portrayed the character known as the Dude.

Additionally, Ryder has been in the media recently promoting her upcoming project, a sequel to the beloved 1988 film Beetlejuice. She reflected on an insightful piece of advice given to her by actor Daniel Day-Lewis during the press tour for 1993’s Age of Innocence, which involved managing publicity by engaging in continuous dialogue.

She mentioned, ‘Just keep talking so they can’t ask you. Just ramble,’ highlighting how this strategy sometimes makes others perceive her as unusual when she opens up during conversations.