Winona Ryder For Elle UK July 2009

Winona Ryder graces the cover ofÂ Elle UK’s July 2009 issue, shot by Matthias Vriens McGrath.

On the newsstand cover, she wears a nude tulle Dolce & Gabbana corset, and on the subscribers cover, she wears a simple black American Apparel top.

In the interview, Winona talks about childhood bullies, leading roles, beauty and her latest film, “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee”.

On Being Bullied: “We only shopped at the Salvation Army, and I would get these three-piece, 1970s little boy suits. I had really short hair, and the third day of seventh grade, these kids basically jumped me in the hall because they thought I was a gay boy, and they roughed me up… I think when that happened, I kind of went into a movie in my head because I couldn’t deal with what was happening. Kids would say, ‘You’re a witch, you’re creepy, you’re crazy.’ I was in the number-one movie in the country and I was still being bullied in school.”

On Leading Roles: “For a few years after Beetlejuice I was cast as the outcast, so I thought that was my path. I sort of had it in my head that I was going to be a character actress. Then I did Heathers and it was the first time I had convinced people I could play [a pretty girl]. I went to get my make-up done for the audition. And then after that I got more substantial roles. And it’s funny in your career, youâ€™re a leading lady for a while and then you end up wanting the character roles again.”

On Beauty: “I thought it was cooler to be interesting than to be pretty. I must have got that from my parents, who felt strongly about being an individual and being your own person and that looks arenâ€™t everything. I always knew that I wasn’t, you know, beautiful. I never wanted to be beautiful, I never wanted to be a cheerleader.”