Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard open up with Dazed
What's like to play Mike and Eleven
Pills
November 22nd, 2016
November 22nd, 2016
For the new issue, DAZED met the stars of Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard and some interesting trivia came out of it. For example, did you know that even before Stranger Things Finn was a fan of the 80s and an authentic nostalgic? He took this passion from his father and he took it very seriously, between grunge music, record players and marathons of Winona Ryder's movies during his sleepovers with fellow Gaten Materazzo (who plays Dustin). As for Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, one of the most interesting female characters in TV series history, this has revealed how she became an actress in the first place and how the character of Eleven was born almost from scratch.
All this is accompanied by a photoshoot that sees Millie and Finn posing for Collier Schorr in Balenciaga, Vetements and J.W. Anderson, with Bobbie Spencer styling.
On retro culture.
“I love retro culture. I love retro games; I love retro music. And so I was sort of in that boat from the beginning. I didn’t really need any proper training. I love 80s and 90s music. I love Nirvana, Joy Division and New Order – older alternative, I guess. There’s a scene where they use ‘Atmosphere’ by Joy Division. Charlie Heaton’s character is crying. It’s perfect.”
On playing troublemaker Richie Tozier in the remake of Stephen King’s It.
“He’s the motormouth of the group. He’s the one who cracks the jokes – he never shuts up. It’s another horror film, but it’s also about these kids growing with each other and getting to know what they can do.”
On fame.
“It’s weird and new and scary – I guess I need to get used to it. Some things just aren’t cool. Like, a person came up to me on a train just because she’d seen someone take a picture of me. It’s awesome that you’re showing support, but I’d love you to do something more creative. If you really love me, write a song about me! I don’t want you to be stuck on me. Because I’m just a person.”
On playing Mike.
“Playing Mike, I accessed feelings I’d never accessed before. I emerged a better actor. I want to give myself credit for that, more than I did at the time. I mean, obviously, there is no perfect person; there’s always work to do. But that’s what I love about acting. You’re never perfect.”
On how her career started.
“I was bored one day, so my dad took me to this acting school. I liked it more than having fun – I liked it for an actual job. The agent was like, ‘You need to go to LA.’ So I said to my dad and my whole family, ‘Can we move to LA?’ They were like, ‘Sure!’”
On her relationship with Winona Ryder.
“Winona is also a heroine in the show – and Natalia (Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler). We’re all just in a different age range, but it’s cool to have female heroines. [Winona] is incredible, ultra-professional and a really good friend. I met her in the production office and we were all having lunch and she just came in and was like, ‘I was told that I look like you!’ We’d sneak away to her trailer to eat cheese and crackers and gossip.”
On playing Eleven.
“They didn’t tell me anything. They just said, ‘Your name is Eleven – relate yourself to ET. That was it. I got the job the next day. [...] Eleven is strong. She’s very vulnerable, but she can be very, very badass.”
