Winona Ryder went viral at the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards after fans noticed her facial expressions during Stranger Things co-star David Harbour’s acceptance speech. The cast had just won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and Harbour gave a powerful, emotional speech onstage.
While he spoke, Ryder stood beside him, reacting with surprise, confusion, pride, and excitement, all within a few seconds. Her dramatic expressions prompted guesses about what was really going on, with many even suggesting she might have been drunk.
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“Winona being drunk on stage next to such a great speech is clouding my vision,” one fan wrote on Instagram while sharing their reaction to her expressions. However, the real reason was something entirely different, as Harbour later revealed in an interview.
David Harbour on Winona Ryder’s Viral SAG Awards Faces
Following the viral moment at the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award, David Harbour revealed what was really going on with his co-star Winona Ryder on stage. “She couldn’t hear me!” the actor told People in a 2017 interview.
“Which I was confused by, because I was screaming! But apparently, she couldn’t hear me,” he continued, adding that although the moment was unexpected, he loved every expression she made.
She is just such a porous, expressive woman and actress — I think it just flowed through her like every experience — and I loved it.
Harbour plays Jim Hopper in the Netflix series alongside Ryder, who is known for her role as Joyce Byers. The duo is set to reprise their roles in the upcoming fifth and final season of the show.
Winona Ryder Gets Emotional at Stranger Things 5 Premiere
Stranger Things Season 5 premiered in theaters on November 6 ahead of its streaming debut on Netflix on November 26, 2025. During the event, Winona Ryder reflected on working with her younger co-stars, during which she also got emotional.
“I feel like this season I got to spend time with all of them, which was incredibly special,” the actress told Tudum during the premiere.
“They’re, they’re just … I’ll get emotional … They’re just … I will always love them forever,” Ryder continued, choking on her words as she reflected on their time together.
Season 5 will be the final chapter of the sci-fi horror series, focusing on the Hawkins group in a final battle against Vecna and the Upside Down to reclaim their home.
The new season will be released in three parts on Netflix: Part 1 on November 26, 2025; Part 2 on December 25, 2025; and the final part on December 31, 2025.
Are you looking forward to seeing Hawkins battle against Vecna? Share your thoughts with us.
Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix. Season 5 Part 1 will be released on November 26, 2025.
