Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp confirms his character Will's sexuality

Virgin Radio

18 Jul 2022, 13:54

Noah Schnapp has spoken about the sexuality of Will Byers, who he plays in hit sci-fi series Stranger Things.

Will has been a core member of the Stranger Things gang throughout the entire Netflix series, along with Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), and Finn Wolfhard (Mike). As the seasons have progressed and Will has grown up, the show’s creators Matt and Ross Duffer have increasingly alluded to his sexuality, and now the actor who portrays him has confirmed that Will is gay.

Noah said: “It’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike.”

In a new interview with Variety, he explained: “Obviously, it was hinted at in Season 1: It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends? Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing.

“It was a slow arc. I think it is done so beautifully, because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay.”

As Will’s friendship with Mike became strained in season 4 of the show, the two characters shared an emotional moment when the latter highlights his concerns about losing his girlfriend, Eleven. 

“These past few months, she's been so lost without you," Will tells Mike. In a speech heavy on subtext, Will continues: “She's so different from other people, and when you're different sometimes you feel like a mistake. But you make her feel like she's not a mistake at all... and that gives her the courage to fight on. So yeah, El needs you Mike: and she always will.”

Also in season 4, which is on Netflix now, there is a touching scene in which Will’s older brother Jonathan (played by Charlie Heaton) shows support for his younger sibling.

Noah told Variety: “It’s also very important for people to see that Will is not alone — because all we ever see of him is struggling and feeling depressed and that he can’t be himself. Jonathan is talking to him in code — it’s just the perfect way to tell someone like Will that he cares about him and he accepts him no matter what. I think it was really wholesome.”

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix now.