Stranger Things ' Noah Schnapp says he'd probably 'still be closeted' if he never played Will Byers
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp is discussing his joyous coming out with family and costars.
In a new interview with Variety conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Schnapp said the struggles his character Will Byers faced in regards to his sexuality impacted his own coming out. "Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself," Schnapp said. "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."
The rising young star shared earlier this year that he was gay in a TikTok, where he lip-synced to audio that said, "You know what it never was? That serious. Quite frankly, it will never be that serious." In text atop the video, Scnhapp wrote, "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know.'" He also added in the caption, "I guess I'm more similar to Will than I thought."
Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix Noah Schnapp stars as Will Byers in 'Stranger Things' season 4
Schnapp recalled confiding first in his twin sister Chloe and costar Millie Bobby Brown. "I kept trying to do it in person with her, and it was too hard," he said of Brown. "So then I just FaceTimed her one day in the middle of a Party City and I was like, 'Millie, I'm gay.' And she was like. 'Oh, Schnapper! You told me finally!'"
Will has yet to publicly come out on the show, but Schnapp confirmed last summer that his character is queer and in love with best pal Mike (Finn Wolfhard). This, of course, wasn't a huge surprise: Seasons 3 and 4 offered plenty of hints, including one episode where Mike tells Will it's "not my fault you don't like girls" and another where Will and his brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have a revealing heart-to-heart.
Schnapp believes being "fully aware of who I am" could impact his performance in the show's upcoming fifth and final season. "I think the way I act in season 5, honestly, might be a little different," he said. "Knowing all of that about myself and being able to invest that in my character, I'm honestly just excited."
After receding into the periphery over the last few seasons, Will is set to "take center stage again" in season 5, teased Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer.
"This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together," Ross told Variety. "Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that's being protected. So part of his journey, it's not just sexuality — it's Will coming into his own as a young man."
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
