Gaten Matarazzo endeared himself to audiences of all ages as Dustin on “Stranger Things,” however the actor says the cross-generational attraction of the interval Nineteen Eighties horror collection has led to quite a few awkward fan interactions.
Showing on this week’s episode of the “Inside of You” podcast, Matarazzo, 21, recalled a number of “uncomfortable” moments with “Stranger Things” viewers, together with a latest encounter with a middle-aged mother and her teen daughter.
“I did [an event] very recently — and this is not very funny, but the reactions around it were quite funny — where this woman in her 40s said straight up, ‘I’ve had a crush on you since you were 13,’” he stated. “And I was like, ‘That’s upsetting.’ I’m sure she just meant, ‘Aw, this kid’s cute.’ But then she doubled down.”
He went on to notice: “She was like, ‘I’m aware of the age difference.’ And then I was like, ‘Alright.’” And her daughter was along with her, and her daughter goes, ‘Mom, what the fuck?’ I swear to God.”
Matarazzo isn’t the one “Stranger Things” forged member to handle the questionable therapy he’s acquired from among the present’s viewers.
Andrew Toth through Getty Photographs
In 2020, Matarazzo’s co-star, Millie Bobby Brown, opened up about being subjected to “inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults” after gaining recognition for her efficiency as Eleven on the present.
The British actor, nevertheless, stated she was undaunted, reassuring followers on Instagram that she’d “always find a way to smile.”
Because the 2016 premiere of “Stranger Things,” Matarazzo has additionally developed his Broadway profession, showing within the musicals “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Sweeney Todd.”
Elsewhere in his “Inside of You” interview, he acknowledged he’s “had a few butt grabs for sure” when encountering “Stranger Things” followers at in-person occasions. Nonetheless, he stated he has nothing however gratitude for his function on the collection, which is anticipated to return to Netflix for its fifth and remaining season subsequent 12 months.
“It is quite clear, and I am very well aware — and would like my professional team to understand — that I am very OK with ‘Stranger Things’ being very likely the biggest thing I will ever do,” he stated. “And I am so cool with that as long as it facilitates happiness going forward, security and more work going forward.”
Take heed to Gaten Matarazzo’s “Inside of You” interview under. (His feedback on fan encounters start across the 59:44 mark.)
