The Stranger Things star cast sparked a frenzy over the weekend with their surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live. However, two of the fans’ favorite actors were noticeably absent, leaving the audiences wonder the reason behind it.
On January 17, Finn Wolfhard delivered the opening monologue on SNL with Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo joining him for a buzz-sparking cameo.
While the trio generated excitement among fans, the other two members of their group, Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown’s, absence was deeply felt, with viewers buzzing over why they did not join their co-stars.
On Sunday, January 18, PEOPLE reported that Schnapp – famous for portraying Will Byers in Stranger Things – did not appear on SNL because he was attending Milan Fashion Week.
The Tutor star was spotted making a dashing appearance at Ralph Lauren Men's Fall/Winter 2026 fashion show in Italy on Friday, January 16, just a day before his fellow cast members made their debut on the hit late night show in New York City.
Meanwhile, Millie Bobby Brown – who played Eleven/Jane Hopper – jetted off to Saudi Arabia to attend the 2026 Joy Awards, where she won Personality of the Year honor.
During the opening monologue on SNL, Wolfhard spoke about his hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, just days after the sci-fi mystery show concluded following a decade-long run.
The actor noted that he was just 12-year-old when he appeared on the show, noting that it was “so amazing that 400 million people got to watch me go through puberty.”
“I know a lot of people still see me as the kid from Stranger Things, right? But I’m 23 now, and I’m proud to officially announce that I am a man,” he proudly stated.
As Wolfhard went on to add, “Meet the new me, the man me. Stranger Things is over, and I’m not a kid anymore,” Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo joined him on the stage, chiming in, “And neither are we!”
Stranger Things wrapped up its decade-long and five-season run on December 31, 2025.
