Winona Ryder Says Jeff Bridges Refused To Kiss Her During ‘Fearless’ Audition

Winona Ryder says Jeff Bridges refused to give her a smooch during an audition for the 1993 film “Fearless” — but for good reason.

In a new episode of Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, the “Beetlejuice” star, 52, reflected on an audition the two did together for the thriller.

The script called for Bridges to kiss Ryder at the end of their scene. But Bridges declined because she was “too young,” Ryder said. He planted a kiss on her forehead instead.

According to Ryder, Bridges told her at the time, “You’re like, my daughter’s age.”

And Ryder, a big fan of his, remembered reacting: “I was like, ‘Nooo, I love you!’”

“Fearless,” directed by Peter Weir, follows a traveler named Max (Bridges) who develops a sense of invulnerability after surviving a plane crash. The film hit theaters in 1993, which means Ryder would have been around 22 years old when they auditioned together, and Bridges would have been around 44.

Ryder ultimately didn’t land a part in “Fearless.” But things worked out in her favor, as she went on to snag a role in Martin Scorsese’s “The Age of Innocence,” which landed the actor her first Oscar nomination.

Earlier in the interview, Ryder, who’d starred in teen comedy “Heathers” in 1988, said that film was a kind of “graduation.”

“When you’re a teen actor and a kid, you’re always hearing about the transition into adult roles and how it’s impossible,” she said. “And then you’re either a daughter — or you’re too young to be the DA or even the rookie cop.”

Watch Ryder’s “Happy Sad Confused” interview below.