The little big star gets tough on aliens, soft on Sigourney and past her biggest fear

by Jeanne Wolf

Barely five-foot-four, Winona Ryder appears dramatically smaller in person than she does on the big screen. In fact, even though she recently celebrated her 26th birthday, Ryder could easily pass for a kid.

Especially these days. Ryder's eyes--big brown expressive orbs that seem to fill up her face--dance with childish delight as she talks about her role alongside Sigourney Weaver in the sci-fi thriller Alien Resurrection.

Now, a huge, splashy, special effects-laden film is not the sort of thing we expect from Ryder. She is, remember, the actress who put a face to late-'80s teen angst in films like Beetlejuice, Heathers and Mermaids. She's also the woman who earned Oscar nominations for her complex, demanding period performances in The Age of Innocence and Little Women.

So, why is Ryder, one of Hollywood's finest young actresses and smartest stars, blasting creatures in outer space? Because it's fun! And after driving herself professionally and experiencing some trying times personally, Ryder deserves a little play time.

A longtime gossip target, she suffered saturation coverage of her relationship to Edward Scissorhands costar Johnny Depp. Then, she had an equally well documented relationship with Soul Asylum singer Dave Pirner. And last year, she suffered the loss of her godfather, Timothy Leary.

Don't worry, though. While the diminutive Ryder may not match her Alien hero Ripley in stature, she's got plenty of strength where it counts.