Joyce Byers

Joyce Byers (née Maldonado) is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of the American science fiction horror streaming television series Stranger Things. She is portrayed by Winona Ryder. Within the series' narrative, Joyce is the single mother of series protagonists Will and Jonathan Byers. In Season 4, she becomes Eleven's guardian. Joyce Byers' character and Ryder's performance have been well-received by critics, and earned Ryder one award and numerous nominations. Characterization Ryder joined the cast of Stranger Things as Joyce in June 2015, along with David Harbour. Joyce was fashioned after Richard Dreyfuss's character Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as she appears "absolutely bonkers" to everyone else as she tries to find her son, Will. In December 2017, Ryder was revealed to be reprising her main role for the third season. Ryder also received a pay raise in the third season. Ryder continued her role in season 4 of the show, having a large role in segments of the show set in Soviet Russia. It is assumed Ryder will reprise her role as Joyce Byers in the fifth season.