Noah Schnapp has finally revealed the emotional toll that comes with success.
To promote the anticipated upcoming Season 5 of hit Netflix series Stranger Things, the 21-year-old actor spoke to Time Magazine in an interview published this week.
During the interview, for which he was joined by his costars Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Dink, Caleb McLaughlin and others, Schnapp opened up about what it was like growing up in the spotlight as child actors.
The Tutor star also reflected on the emotional turmoil he faces, particularly during the press tours to promote the show, and the difficulty he experienced to answer questions from reporters about his sexuality and that of his character, Will Byers.
“When I was younger, I was obviously very scared of talking about it. They would pry and ask me, ‘Is he gay? Are you gay?’ I was 12, 13. I didn’t know what to say,” he recalled.
The questions about his sexuality sparked when fans started thinking that Will Byers had feelings for his friend Mike Wheeler (played by Finn Wolfhard).
In the fourth season of Stranger Things, Schnapp’s character Will was officially confirmed as gay, which further fueled questions about the actor’s sexuality.
Months after the premiere of season 4, the Waiting for Anya actor finally came out as gay, writing, “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought.”
"Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself. I would be in a completely different place if I didn’t have Will to portray, and to embrace and help me accept myself. I think if I never played that character, I probably would still be closeted,” he told Variety in August that year.
Stranger Things Season 5 is slated to premiere on Netflix in two parts, with Part 1 releasing on November 26 and Part 2 on December 25, followed by a finale episode set for December 31, 2025.
