For Gaten Matarazzo, There's No 'Stranger Things' Without 'Star Wars'

Did Stranger Things give you a crash course on ’80s movies or were you already well-versed?

That was inevitable, but I was already pretty well-versed in the recommendations that had been brought up leading into Season 1. We had our homework. That was out of the way by the time we even started filming Season 1. A lot of that stuff got magnified because of the press tour. We were so young then! So you had people asking us, "Do you know what a VCR is?" or trying to trick us and be like, "Let's see if they've ever heard of a map." Obviously, we knew. We knew!

Why do you think Stranger Things was such a hit right away?

I think it's all about the stakes. There's no stakes to fear unless you're afraid of losing something wonderful. And from the very beginning of the show, you develop such a love, at least, we developed a love for each other. There was so much love in the writers' room, but also with the entire cast from the very beginning. And I think that translated to the screen. You learn to love these kids in the first five minutes.

Big sci-fi franchises can typecast actors. Are you okay with Dustin following you?

If by some chance Stranger Things faded into obscurity, this show will always be a defining chapter of my life. Even if I consistently work after this, it will always come back to Stranger Things. I learned how to do what I do because of this show. And so much of my work now is—I'll go into a room, in a new space, with a new script, and try to remember what's Dustin and what's actually me. It can be frustrating, but it can also feel so cool. He's a part of me.

I think I'll have a more nuanced feeling about this in the next five to 10 years. But for now, I guess I'm honored to say that even if this was the peak, it's a pretty amazing thing to have done and I'm very proud.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 debuts on Netflix on November 26, 2025. The series finale streams on New Year's Day 2026.