With "Stranger Things 2" just a couple of weeks away, the Duffer Brothers are squeezing in as much press as they can to promote the upcoming sophomore season of last year's breakout hit (as if they have to). Last year's Netflix breakout series catapulted Millie Bobby Brown to fame and reminded viewers of Winona Ryder's sheer talent for bringing characters to life. In a recent chat with The Guardian, the Duffer Brothers talked about how the Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning actress helped shape the character of Joyce Byers from her humble beginnings as a "Long Island mom." Here's what they had to say about Joyce's transformation, thanks to Ryder's help.

Winona Ryder helped shape Joyce Byers

Among the amazing things in the Netflix series (we can name so many) is Winona Ryder and Joyce Byers. When her son Will disappeared, she was frantic, bordering on crazy despite the odd happenings in the sleepy yet scary town of Hawkins. But the Joyce fans see on screen and will see on screen in "Stranger Things 2" is quite a departure from what the Duffer Brothers originally intended her to be. Matt Duffer told The Guardian, "[Joyce] was a tough-talking Long Island mom – f**k this, f**k that, a lot of F-bombs—a very different character. So when we cast Winona, we were like, we have to Winonafy this."

It's all about the mashed potatoes

Matt Duffer shared that in creating the character of Winona Ryder's Joyce Byers, they wanted someone as inspired as Richard Dreyfuss in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the kind of character who makes "a mountain out of mashed potatoes," Digital Spy reported.

According to Duffer, "I thought, I want to see Winona making a mountain out of mashed potatoes. That's gonna be a great scene." The Duffers attribute the 45-year old actress' "unique energy" that she brings to the table, which helped shape Joyce into who she is today. "[Ryder's Joyce] is so much more interesting than the character we had written," Duffer admitted.

Viewers will get to see Ryder reprise her role as Joyce in the upcoming "Stranger Things 2," which premieres on Netflix on October 27. The show will introduce several new characters, including Bob Newby (Sean Astin), who is Joyce and Chief Hopper's former schoolmate who becomes a love interest for Joyce. Viewers got a glimpse of him in the second trailer released this Friday the 13th, which can be seen below.

"Stranger Things 2" premieres on Netflix on October 27.
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