AceShowbiz - Although the role in Heathers catapulted Winona Ryder to cult queen status, it wasn't a universally supported choice. Ryder's agent was particularly opposed, even resorting to begging on her knees for Ryder not to take on the part of Veronica Sawyer in the "very subversive" teen dark comedy written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann.

Recalling the audition process in a video for Harper's Bazaar, Ryder said, "I wasn't considered pretty enough, so I went across the street to the Beverly Center, to the Macy's counter. They had them do a makeover on me. Then I went back and I was like, 'Please!' " Despite her transformation, Ryder's agent was not swayed. "My agent at the time literally got down on her knees; she's like, 'Please, you're gonna destroy any chance of a career,'" recounted Ryder.

However, Ryder's instincts proved correct. Even though she faced immediate repercussions-losing a role she had already been cast in because the director was upset with her decision-Ryder told Harper's Bazaar, "I think I made the right call."

In Heathers, Ryder plays the formerly unpopular Veronica Sawyer, who finds herself amidst a clique of mean girls named Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty). The plot takes a dark turn when Veronica meets the enigmatic JD (Christian Slater), and the duo begins killing off the Heathers, staging their deaths as suicides.

Despite its lackluster performance at the box office, grossing just $1.1 million globally, Heathers has since earned a loyal cult following. The movie's enduring appeal has even led to adaptations, including an Off-Broadway musical and a 2016 TV reboot, though the latter was short-lived and met with similar controversy as the original film.

Looking back, Ryder's fearless choice to embrace the role of Veronica Sawyer proved pivotal-not just for her career, but also for a generation of viewers who found a unique resonance in the film's dark yet insightful exploration of teenage angst.