Winona Ryder Says Filming This Scene Was the Worst Experience of Her Life

When Winona Ryder was just nine years old, she saw a movie that changed everything for her. Her parents let her watch Ridley Scott’s Alien, one of the scariest films ever made. Instead of running away scared, Ryder fell in love with the movie. She even kept a poster of Sigourney Weaver’s character, Ellen Ripley, above her bed throughout her childhood.

Years later, Ryder was already a well-known actress thanks to movies like Beetlejuice, Heathers, and Edward Scissorhands. When Alien 3 came out, her family was excited to see what would happen next.

But then, Ripley died at the end of that film, which upset many fans—including Ryder herself. She said in 1997, “We were all pretty pissed off. The idea of Ripley dying wasn’t received well, especially in my home. For fans, it was a big disappointment. I was like, ‘Goddamn it.’”

Five years after Ripley’s death on screen, Ryder got the chance to work alongside Weaver in Alien: Resurrection. The movie brought Ripley back as a clone, mixing human and alien DNA. Ryder was thrilled to work with her childhood hero and was eager to dive into the role.

But there was one big problem. The director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, wanted to start filming with a complicated underwater scene. This was a huge challenge for Ryder because she has a serious fear of water. When she was 12, she nearly drowned and had to be saved by rescuers. Since then, she had avoided being underwater at all costs.

Despite her fear, Ryder was determined to do the scene like everyone else. She faced her phobia and got into a huge water tank on the Fox lot, submerged under 12 feet of murky water.

The experience was so difficult that Ryder called it “hands down, the worst experience of my entire life.” She added, “Like, literally. I thought I was gonna die. I had a really bad anxiety attack, actually. We were all pretty miserable.”

Sigourney Weaver agreed with Ryder, saying that while the idea of an underwater chase scene with the aliens was great, shooting it was a nightmare for the whole cast and crew. She said with a smile, “Man, being in a dark, submerged kitchen with lots of boots in your face and guns going off and everybody’s gunk all around can get really ugly.”

The scene took two long weeks to film. During that time, the water became filled with debris and various fluids, making the environment even worse. Coordinating the scene was tough since it involved many actors, some carrying others, all while dodging the alien creatures. There were several close calls during filming, making it a truly stressful experience.

In the end, Ryder and the team managed to complete the scene, which is now considered the best part of Alien: Resurrection. Still, Ryder doesn’t look back on it fondly and likely never wants to face such a terrifying challenge again.

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