Winona Laura Horowitz is born in Winona, Minnesota, a town her parents named her after. Her parents, Michael and Cindy Horowitz, were intellectuals and close friends with counter-culture figures like Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary, shaping her early life with a bohemian upbringing and exposure to alternative ideas.

Winona makes her film debut in 'Lucas,' a coming-of-age story. While a small role, it marks the beginning of her professional acting career and provides her first taste of Hollywood.