Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves‘ 30-year friendship has survived several major milestones:
working together in four films, a fictitious marriage and ’90s stardom.
Now appearing in the unconventional romantic comedy Destination Wedding, the two longterm pals recently opened up to PEOPLE about the pros and cons of being ’90s icons and what brought them together for their fourth film.
While discussing their favorite films of each other’s, they also revealed what get recognized for most these days. For Reeves, 53, it’s the John Wick franchise. For Ryder, 46, it’s Stranger Things. But “I do still get [recognized for] Beetlejuice,” she said. “Which was so long ago!”
“You’re in a generational classic,” Reeves said of the 1988 Michael Keaton-led cult hit. “You’re like a classic, a legend.”
Ryder, taking Reeves’ compliments in stride, countered that living through the ’90s as the “icons” in question isn’t all it’s been celebrated to be.
“There’s all this nostalgia for the 90s,” she said. “But when you lived through it, it’s very different.”
Ryder, whose memorable performances in ’90s films like Little Women, Edward Scissorhands and Reality Bites, elevated her to the icon status, playfully brushes off the label.
“Hey, Reeves, I’m just feeling really iconic today,” she play-acted with a pretend phone call to Reeves, who was sitting right next to her. “Do you want to go do something right now?”
“What’s up Ryder?” he mimed back. “Yeah. What do you want to [do]?”
Speaking of their fourth big screen outing, Destination Wedding, Ryder said it was her idea to approach Reeves to be her costar. The two actors play cynical, mostly miserable guests at a destination wedding who end up attracted to each other.
“I emailed him, and luckily I saved that, I don’t pass on scripts [to friends] often,” she recalled. “I didn’t think the chances of him being available were necessarily going to be good, but I knew that once I got him in my head I couldn’t imagine anybody else. And I was so happy, because he responded.”
“It’s because you have great taste,” Reeves said. “We made a nice, funny and smart film. And something that I think gives back to the audience.”
Destination Wedding opens in limited release Aug. 31, and expands to more theaters and VOD on Sept. 7.
