An American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas, but her first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988) as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition. After making various appearances in film and television, she continued her career with the cult film Heathers (1989), a controversial satire of teenage suicide and high school life. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination in the same category for her role in The Age of Innocence in 1993, as well as another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Little Women the following year.

Her personal life has been widely reported by the media. Her relationship with actor Johnny Depp in the early 1990s was highly publicised and received much scrutiny by the media and tabloid press. A much talked about 2001 shoplifting incident led to a four-year hiatus from acting. She has also revealed her personal struggle with anxiety and depression, briefly checking into a clinic.