‘Stranger Things 5’ – Young Joyce Byers Actor Makes It Clear That Winona Ryder Wasn’t Digitally De-Aged

The fourth episode of “Stranger Things 5,” now streaming on Netflix, features a brief flashback appearance from a teenage Joyce Byers, with many fans convinced that Winona Ryder herself was digitally de-aged to cameo as a young version of herself. The season kicks off with a digitally de-aged Will Byers, after all, so it seemed logical that the same tech was used to turn Joyce Byers back into a teenager. But that wasn’t CGI and it wasn’t AI either, we’ve learned!

Teenage Joyce Byers was played by actress Birdy in “Stranger Things 5,” and Birdy has taken to social media to make it clear that she’s a real person and not a de-aged Winona Ryder.

“Not AI Winona,” Birdy writes in an Instagram post that includes a still image from the episode and a photo of herself on the set of “Stranger Things 5.” Check out the IG post below.

Birdy is indeed a dead ringer for a young Winona Ryder, and the actress can also be seen in Season 13, Episode 22 of “Chicago Fire” as well as the shorts Twin Flame and Escort.

The actress also shared some behind the scenes photos from the set of “Stranger Things” in another Instagram post, writing: “So incredibly grateful to be a part of S5.”

Teenage Joyce Byers (Maldonado at the time) was brought to the screen via Max traveling through Henry Creel’s memories, and it’s interesting to note that those very same events play a huge role in the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow. The play centers on a young Henry Creel in 1959, and in it Joyce puts on a production of Oklahoma! at Hawkins High School.

The stage play is clearly canon to the series, as the flashback in “Stranger Things 5” is set in 1959 and references the Oklahoma! stage play that’s being directed by Joyce Maldonado.