Why The Teenage Version Of Winona Ryder’s Joyce Byers Looks So Familiar

The folks behind “Stranger Things” didn’t need a computer to recreate Winona Ryder. 

In Episode 4 of the spooky Netflix series’ fifth and final season, Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) explores Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) memories of his time at Hawkins High School during the late 1950s. At this point, we see a young Joyce Maldonado (later Byers, via marriage to Lonnie Byers) handing out flyers for a production of the musical “Oklahoma!”.

Because Ryder, who plays adult Joyce, spent the late ’80s and early ’90s cranking out above-the-title performances in classic films — “Heathers,” “The Age of Innocence,” “Edward Scissorhands,” we could go on — plenty of footage exists to give us a precise idea of what Joyce would look like as a teenager. So, when the young Joyce from “Chapter Four: Sorcerer” landed so close to the real deal, some viewers assumed she was an AI or CGI creation. However, the part was actually played by up-and-coming model and actress Birdy, not to be confused with the singer-songwriter of the same name. Eagle-eyed fans might recognize Birdy from the Season 13 finale of NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” which aired in May. 

Following her appearance on “Stranger Things,” Birdy took to Instagram to confirm her identity. Her first post following the episode was simply captioned “not AI winona 🙂 #strangerthings5 #youngjoyce.” Alongside a screenshot of young Joyce at Hawkins High, the post included a behind-the-scenes still of Birdy out of costume and holding up Joyce’s “Oklahoma!” flyer.