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Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo is afraid of not getting roles once the show ends
Home>Film & TV
Published 18:49 21 Mar 2023 GMT

Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo is afraid of not getting roles once the show ends

Despite having built an impressive acting career, Matarazzo fears it will be hard to distance himself from his iconic character

Katherine Sidnell

Katherine Sidnell

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Featured Image Credit: NBC/Netflix

Topics: Netflix, Film and TV, Celebrity, Stranger Things

Katherine Sidnell
Katherine Sidnell

Katherine is an entertainment journalist with a love of all things nerdy. Starting out writing Doctor Who fan fiction as a kid, she has gone on to interview the likes of Matt Damon, James May and Dua Lipa to name a few. Published in The Sun, The Daily Mail and Evening Standard - she now joins Ladbible as resident nerd in chief.

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Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo has admitted he lives in ‘deep fear’ of not getting roles after the series ends.

The 20-year-old actor has played Dustin in the hit Netflix show since he was in his early teens and the character has gone on to become a fan favourite.

Despite the hit show being streamed over a billion times across the globe, Matarazzo says he’s still concerned about finding work after the final series airs later this year. You can see what he had to say here:

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We reckon the actor shouldn’t be too concerned given the impressive CV he’s built over the years - especially on the stage.

Prior to joining the nostalgic show in 2015, Matarazzo had appeared on Broadway in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Misérables.

If that wasn’t enough, he’s also starred in several Hollywood films including The Angry Birds Movie 2 and My Father’s Dragon.

Nevertheless, Matarazzo fears it will be hard to find roles when he moves on from his iconic character.

Matarazzo was just 13 years old when he was cast in Stranger Things.
Netflix

Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the actor revealed that he was scared to go ‘back to freelance’ after a decade on the small screen.

He’d also been especially thankful for the show given how fans had reacted to the series and turned it into a huge franchise.

“It’s interesting to constantly just be reminded how much people have resonated with it,” he told the talk show host, as Matarazzo reflected on his role.

He continued, adding: “I mean, it’s something that’s so important to all of us and has just been essential to the growth that I’ve had over all of my teenage years into my 20s.

"It’s the defining aspect of the past 10 years of my life, practically the past decade.”

While he did say he was relieved to finish the series and see his character ‘move on’ from his trauma, the Stranger Things actor also admitted to feeling uncertain about his future.

He told the audience: "There’s like a deep fear. Not only has it been amazing, but it’s been pretty great job security for a while. Back to freelance.”

The 20 year old actor worries about freelancing after the fifth and final series.
Netflix

Whilst Matarazzo may be sad about the series ending, the same can’t be said of his co-star David Harbour.

The Black Widow star said that ‘it was time’ for the much-loved series to end in a recent interview with Discussing Film.

“What’s funny is when I started the show, I never ever wanted it to end,” Harbour revealed, adding: “That’s why I love the show. I think it’s a great show, even if I wasn’t in it.

"Now we’re almost nine years from filming the first season, and I think it is time for it to end.”

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