Dacre Montgomery explains why he decided to take a step back after "Stranger Thing" success

“I think with 'Stranger Things' — as with any big Netflix show — it’s kind of like you lose your anonymity overnight,” Montgomery said, a statement that’s true if not revolutionary. Afterward, he found himself professionally “really being pushed in a commercial direction,” which wasn’t what he wanted. Montgomery wasn’t looking to, say, play a relative of Sherlock Holmes in Netflix movies.

Not wanting a strictly commercial career, Montgomery stepped back and sought out indie films that interested him. “I’m in a really, really good space with a couple of great movies coming up that fit the bill,” he said. He starred in the thriller Went Up the Hill, which screened at TIFF last year and has just received a limited theatrical release in the United States. He is also currently filming Dead Man’s Wire, directed by Gus Van Sant.

While some of the “Stranger Things” cast are pursuing big movie careers, fans of Billy Hargrove will need to check out the indie scene to see Montgomery in action.

(h/t People)