Actress Millie Bobby Brown, renowned for her role as Eleven in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, recently opened up about her experiences on the show and her aspirations for the future. In a candid interview with Glamour magazine, Brown shared her thoughts on the impending conclusion of Stranger Things and the impact it has had on her budding career.
Brown expressed her readiness for the series to conclude, stating, “When you’re ready, you’re like, ‘All right, let’s do this. Let’s tackle this last senior year. Let’s get out of here.’” She further elaborated on the constraints the show has placed on her, saying, “’Stranger Things’ takes up a lot of time to film and it’s preventing me from creating stories that I’m passionate about. So I’m ready to say, ‘Thank you, and goodbye.’”
Despite the challenges, Brown is grateful for the opportunities and growth the show has afforded her. She acknowledged, “Stranger Things has given me the tools and the resources to be a better actor.” Drawing a parallel to a significant life milestone, she remarked, “It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year. You’re ready to go and blossom and flourish and you’re grateful for the time you’ve had, but it’s time to create your own message and live your own life.”
As she looks to the future, Brown is enthusiastic about her upcoming projects, notably The Electric State, where she will be sharing the screen with Chris Pratt. She expressed her excitement, saying, “To be able to go toe-to-toe with Chris Pratt! It’s a very exciting opportunity that I never thought I’d be able to have, to be able to be treated the same as him and to be looked at and respected the same as him on the set by the production, by the studio.”
However, her journey hasn’t been without its challenges. Brown recalled the undue criticism she faced during Stranger Things press tours when she was just 13. She remembered, “We’re kids — we talk over each other. I was just penalized for over-talking and oversharing and being too loud.” The backlash was severe, with adults labeling her as “an idiot,” “stupid,” and “a brat.” Reflecting on the impact of such comments, she said, “It’s hard to hear that at 13. You’re like, ‘I don’t want to ever talk again. I don’t want to be the loud person…In interviews I couldn’t help but think of all the comments. So I just remembered to stay silent and speak when I was spoken to, even though I was dying to join in. I just felt it wasn’t my turn.”
Brown’s experiences have instilled in her a desire to advocate for the protection of underage actors. She passionately stated, “You cannot speak on children that are underage. I mean, our brains physically have not grown yet. To diminish and practically stunt someone’s growth mentally, strip them down, tell them, ‘Hey, listen, you don’t look that great. Why are you wearing that? How dare you think you can wear that? How dare you say that?’”
On a brighter note, Brown’s creative journey continues to evolve. She has recently penned her debut novel, Nineteen Steps, marking yet another milestone in her multifaceted career. Recently, we shared updates on the much-anticipated Stranger Things Season 5. If the buzz is accurate, the finale with Eleven and her crew promises to be a spectacular send-off.