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Winona Ryder says Jeff Bridges refused to kiss her during audition for a sweet reason: "You're like..."

Jeff Bridges played a key role in the success of Fearless, bringing his powerful performance to the film.

Recently, Winona Ryder gave an interview in which she related a heartwarming story about her audition for the movie ‘Fearless’ with Jeff Bridges back in 1993. The actress explained that at the end of one of the scenes when her character was supposed to kiss Jeff’s character, he refused. Why? He thought Winona was too young for him since he was 22 years older than her. Winona fondly recalled the moment on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, explaining how she was waiting for the kiss, but Jeff only kissed her forehead instead. He told her, “You’re, like, my daughter’s age,” which, according to Winona, made her laugh, as she wasn’t expecting that response at all.

This sweet and respectful gesture spoke volumes about how much Bridges cared about maintaining boundaries, especially considering his own fatherly instincts toward someone he saw as much younger than him. Jeff is a proud father to three daughters and clearly wanted to maintain a level of comfort on set. “I remember because I was also auditioning for Fearless with Jeff Bridges, and I remember that audition. It was really around the same time, I think,” she said on the podcast. “Jeff Bridges, who I love, wouldn’t kiss me because I was, like, too young,” she added. “And at the end of the scene he was supposed to kiss me and I was… And he, like, he kissed my forehead. He’s like, ‘You’re, like, my daughter’s age.’ And I was like, ‘No!” Winona explained.

Fearless, a 1993 film by Peter Weir, is a movie about Max, played by Jeff Bridges, who survives a major plane crash. Following the crash, the personality of Max changes drastically, and he becomes obsessed with life and death. He started forming unusual and strong attachments with people around him. Rosie Perez also plays the key role of a female affected by the crash. Although Winona Ryder was in consideration for ‘Fearless’, she never landed a role. 

However, Jeff Bridges played a key role in helping Rosie Perez secure her part in the movie. Director Peter Weir initially wasn’t sure about casting Rosie, but Jeff Bridges strongly supported her. He believed that she was perfect for the role and pushed for her to be given the opportunity. His support helped convince the filmmakers to cast Rosie, and her performance eventually earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. “Early in my career, I had auditioned for ‘Fearless,’ directed by Peter Weir. Although I knew I nailed it, they could see I was really, really, extremely nervous, so I wasn’t really sure,” Perez said during the 2024 Chaplin Award Tribute gala honoring Bridges, as per Indie Wire.

“I was extremely surprised to get a callback – surprised because I also knew the studio didn’t want me for the role. Then they said for round two that they wanted me to meet with Jeff Bridges. Holy shit!” Perez added. She also explained how she got her part in the movie. “Jeff wanted me to play the part. Well, you never hear that. You never hear an actor of his caliber going to bat for someone who still is fairly kind of new and regulated only to certain types of parts. He just gave me so much confidence. I went in, again, and they offered me the part.”

Jeff Bridges also had much to do with the success of ‘Fearless’. One of the major strengths in the film was the strong performance of Jeff as Max, his emotional depth and dedication to the role helped bring attention to the film. Though the movie did not have huge box office returns, Jeff’s acting was highly acclaimed and received a Golden Globe nomination. The film was a moderate commercial success and it grossed a total of $6,995,302 domestically at the United States and Canadian box office. It opened on October 17, 1993, with a limited opening weekend take of $144,044.