Secrets from the Set of Stranger Things
Nowadays, it’s getting harder and harder to scare a television audience. Thankfully, Netflix found a way to get under our skin. Instead of standard “in-your-face” horror, they came up with something a little bit stranger. When Stranger Things burst forth with a season full of questions and upside-down nonsense we were all hooked. It’s creepy, weird, scary all at once! For all the good and creepy it is on-screen, some really strange things happen in the world of the show. Put on your bike helmets, roll for charisma, and let’s traverse the Upside-Down! It’s time to see what strangeness is happening behind the scenes of Stranger Things!
Live Up To Your Name, Geez!
Sometimes a character’s name and an actor’s name won’t connect. That’s fine. It’s the actor’s job to embody someone else. However, the more we learn about the people behind the roles, the more we love them. Take Mike for instance. Imagine if he had a different name. What if he went by his actor name: Finn Wolfhard. RIGHT? How much cooler would an other-worldly demon fighter sound with that name?
Maybe he’d have a heartier constitution, too. Before he even became Mike, the actor wasn’t feeling like much of a pack leader. To secure the role, he had to audition while sick! Poor kid. At least he seems to feel better nowadays. Millions of dollars and a hit show will do that for a person.
They’re Not Paid That Well
Being a small-time sheriff in some semi-spooky town seems like an easy gig. Most of the time, you’re not doing anything but dozing on the porch or at the station. Other times you’re trying to prevent the apocalypse with limited resources and no training for the situation. Stressful? Yes. However, if it’s only a few days a year, then who cares? Those sheriffs (both real and fictional) aren’t always paid well for their efforts.
A lot of the time they’re living in broken-down spaces. Don’t worry, it’s intentional. They’re just saving for retirement. Sheriff Hopper’s trailer may not look like much (because it isn’t). However, he saved a ton since the crew got the trailer for only $1! All the cash they saved on a home can now be used for extra-terrestrial training or something useful for Hopper’s daily duties.
Power Can Take A (Bloody) Toll
One of the first mysteries to arise in Stranger Things centers around Eleven (naturally). How exactly did this kid become a superpowered demigod? No idea. Also, why does she seem to get nosebleeds every time her powers appear? That seems like a bummer of a design flaw. It’s also a reference to a couple of different series from other worlds!
Eleven’s nosebleeds aren’t just indicators of her strength and abilities. They’re also throwbacks/references to both Ripley from Aliens AND Firestarter (a Stephen King reference? Yup!) The show is basically a giant multi-season series of references rolled into a linear tale. We’re 100% here for it.
Now With Less Tobacco (but not demons)
If you’re too young to remember cigarette commercials and smoking areas in restaurants then this may not be a surprise. While smoking has been cut from a lot of media in the past few decades, it’s still a prevalent (and harmful) hobby. To deter kiddos from joining in, a group got offended with the amount of butt flicking and lighting shown in Stranger Things‘ first season!
As a result of the outcry, Netflix stated they would no longer show ANY smokers or e-cig users in future seasons! We guess this has to do with the impressionability of children or something…Do they smoke a lot in the Upside-Down? Someone get in there and get them to stop too. Think of the children.
Half-Mummification, Half-Decapitation?
Special effects have come a long way. Before fancy CGI, practical solutions to non-realistic problems had to be figured out. When someone in a show needed to die, but their corpse appeared later, movies and shows would make a cast of that person. Easy, right? Well, it is when the body belongs to an adult. When kids are involved, you have to tread a bit more carefully.
When Will’s body is used as a prop in season one, the crew had to find a way to make the mold without using the actor’s body. The solution was simple but involved a joint effort. A cast was taken of actor Noah Schapp’s head. To make up Will’s body, a very petite woman was brought in to make the cast!
E.T. Really Phoned It In
To ensure you have an incredible sci-fi show you need to have an incredible cast. There’s no denying that the Stranger Things crew is ridiculously good at what they do. That doesn’t mean the parts were written just for them. Like most actors, they had to audition. To keep the spirit of the show, the casting crew needed to see some special auditioning!
To test the potential kids if they were a good fit, the casting director had them recite some specific lines. Due to Stranger Thing’s sci-fi/horror mix, the younger actors auditioned by reciting lines from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial! Thankfully, nobody phoned it in.
Lucas Lost And Found A Belt
Strange things don’t just happen while the cameras are on. Weird events and coincidences kept popping up before filming even began. Back in the days of the first season, the crew needed to find a specific belt for a character. While they were hunting, the main costume designer found the perfect one! It didn’t matter what the color or shape of the buckle was.
They knew the belt they found was perfect for the show. Why? Well, the previous owner had written their name on it. Luckily enough, they too were named Lucas. How crazy is that coincidence?
Bald Is Still Beautiful!
Some of the most iconic scenes in the first season of Stranger Things center around Eleven. That makes sense, given that she’s the main character. However, one scene in particular, when she’s fending off an enemy with a bloody nose and bald head, is stamped into our memory. It’s iconic for many reasons, one of which is that she’s not really bald in the scene.
For a lot of the first season, Eleven is rocking either a bad blonde wig or no hair at all. Well, guess what? That buzzed head was a wig too! The art department installed a buzzed bald cap to keep her hair short throughout the seasons.
Anything Is Possible In The Upside-Down
Just like in Dirty Dancing, filming scenes with a partner requires chemistry. Even when the characters aren’t the nicest, you want two people in a scene to interact with one another, right? Right. It just makes sense. Sure, people can act separately and then be spliced together, but how realistic does that sound? In the world of Stranger Things that sounds like another day on set!
Dacre Montgomery and Sadie Sink were never in the same room at the same time in season 4. Due to the pandemic, both actors filmed their scenes separately, from two different continents! The footage was then spliced together for the episode. That’s strange, but not the strangest thing to happen on the show.
Just A Little Off The Top And Sides
The seventies and eighties are known for some incredible things. The rise and fall of disco, bell-bottoms, and a massive surge of new players for the D&D fanbase are just a few things the decade brought the world. We also got a ton of terrible hairstyles that didn’t age well. Of course, some fads don’t become classics. When you’re shooting a show set in a specific era, you need to look like you’re from that time.
That means donning the stupidest haircut possible. Even though the actor who plays Will knew it didn’t stop him from petitioning for a cooler cut. Without his iconic mushroom cut, where would the character be? Probably stuck somewhere with a better hairstyle…
A Bush In The Hand Is Worth Top Of The Charts!
Part of having a successful and long-lasting television show is knowing what your audience wants. The other part is giving them something they didn’t even know they wanted or needed! This applies to every part of a show, even its music! Younger generations are just now discovering Kate Bush (only now?!) for the first time thanks to Stranger Things.
The 70s/80s music phenomenon is back at the top of the charts thanks to season 4 of the show. While everything comes back into style in some way shape or form, we’re thrilled that a new generation is learning about Kate Bush through the series. Keep running up that hill!
A Future Furiosa In The Making?
Having hair can be a source of pride and frustration. Split-ends and wayward hairs are annoying, and so is keeping up with a new ‘do every couple of weeks. Wouldn’t it be easier to shave it all? Millie Bobby Brown wasn’t convinced. However, since Eleven isn’t known for her hair in the show, the crew had to think of a way to discuss going bald with the actress.
The show’s creators also introduced Brown to a bald/buzzed feminist icon: Charlize Theron as Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road. That’s all Eleven needed to see. The strength and general awesomeness of Furiosa were almost enough to convince Brown to shave off her own locks for future seasons!
They All Float Down There
Remember season 1 when Eleven is floating in the sensory deprivation tank? What about later in the kiddie pool? Both instances probably required a lot of special effects to get just right. That or the show just employed a little bit of science. To achieve that floating look, Millie Bobby Brown actually floated.
Crewmates filled the kiddie pool with so much salt that Brown actually floated (unassisted) for the scene. When it came to the tank with the helmet, she was submerged with it on! The director kept an earpiece in the helmet to help talk her through the scene and keep her calm.
Not All Bullies (on TV) Are Bad
If you made it through high school and considered them your best years, then maybe you had a different experience than most. While most of us survived those days, some people THRIVED. Unfortunately, many of them (at least according to TV) are either popular or bullies. While that’s not always the case, it’s a trope that persists. Thankfully, it was broken when Stranger Things came around!
Steve may have started out bad, but things got better throughout the seasons. In fact, his entire trajectory from bad to good wasn’t even planned. The creators of the show wanted him to remain bad, but couldn’t go through with their plan once they met Joe Keery. He was just too likeable!
They Had A Real-Life Soundtrack!
Working on a Hollywood set is a lot different than what we see on the screen. All that movie/TV magic happens in post-production before audiences get their hands on the final product. Due to things like background noise and effects appearing later, actors have to play pretend while shooting. While that disbelief can be tough to suspend, the show’s creators had an idea.
To keep everyone in the right mood, creepy sounds and music would be played on the set! That way, the younger stars were kept in the right mindset for their scenes. We’re not saying that’s some form of psychological manipulation, but…
Sometimes Isolation Can Work Wonders!
To get in the right frame of mind, an actor may decide to do some Method acting. Others may just summon some past trauma and use those emotions to fuel their role. Then there are actors like Jamie Campbell. To get into the right headspace to play Vecna in season 4, Campbell needed to find some space. Before arriving on set, they chose to self-isolate to perfect their persona.
With all that space and time, Campbell was able to perfect Vecna’s entire internal monologue. While it sounds extreme, this practice has delivered some great performances! Heath Ledger famously did the same before his groundbreaking (and award-winning) performance as The Joker.
1, 2, Robert’s Coming For You
Okay horror fans, even if Stranger Things isn’t the stuff of your nightmares that doesn’t mean it isn’t well-done. It has a great story and features some HUGE names. Why are we telling you that? Any classic horror buffs easily spotted a legend walking amongst the cast and crew of the show.
The latest season of the show treats us to a great new monster and a fantastic performance by the original dream demon himself: Freddy Kreuger! The Nightmare on Elm Street moved to Indiana! Freddy’s OG actor, Robert Englund, is a featured cast member (and potential baddie?) in the new season! This was definitely a treat for classic horror fans.
Having Fun By The Foot!
When you’re working twelve or more hours a day you’re bound to get bored. No matter how much you love what you do, everyone needs to take a break every now and then. Since the Stranger Things stars can’t just ask for PTO, they had to find some way to relieve stress. In-between takes, Millie Bobby Brown and her co-stars found ways to have their own fun.
To help pass time, and stave off the horror-movie vibes of the show, they’d have snack-eating contests between takes! Apparently, the food of choice to determine the winner was always a Fruit By The Foot. Did Netflix hire a dentist on standby as well?
Not A Multi-Decade Saga
When a show the size of Stranger Things comes around, you can do just about anything you want. It can even travel through time they want! Thankfully, the executive producers made sure that wasn’t the case. In the early drafts of the script, the show was going to be set in a different decade every season. That would’ve totally changed the theme of the series.
However, with that plan, they wouldn’t be able to tell the story with the current cast (they’d have to get new people every season). Thankfully, they got super attached to the characters as we have and chose to stick with them. We think they made the right decision.
Awkwardness Can Create Interesting Friendships
In the real world, radically different people don’t always make fast friends. In fact, they may never cross paths! In the world of Stranger Things, the opposite occurs. Dustin and Steve seem to be the weirdest combination of characters to establish a friendship. However, that oddness is what makes it work so well.
The entire premise of the two becoming friends was born from a very simple issue: neither character had a lot going on in certain scenes and rarely interacted with the other very much. The writers wondered what would happen if the two suddenly became friends. The rest just happened organically between the actors!
Sometimes You Need To Ask An Expert
People who become parents acquire some sort of other-worldly ability. It’s fascinating to see the lengths that some parents will go to ensure their kids are safe, happy, and thriving. Even when it’s all for show, actors who can accurately tap into a parent’s primal need to protect their kid are fascinating to watch.
When Winona Ryder found out she’d be playing a mom she probably realized this. However, without kiddos of her own, she needed some help from an expert. Naturally, she called her own mom for advice on how to act like a parent for the camera! Does this mean she gets a shoutout in the credits or on IMDB?
Dehydration Due To Tears
When was the last time you drank water? Take a break, grab a class, and drink a few. Hydration is important. Someone had to tell Winona Ryder the same thing when she was shooting season one. The scene where she’s emotionally exhausted from trying to talk to Will through Christmas lights took over ten hours to film.
Not only that, but those tears were real! Since they didn’t have a bottle of human tears handy, someone had to remind Ryder to stay hydrated. You’d be surprised how many fluids she lost just by wailing over those lights all day. She really put herself through the wringer to deliver that performance.
Was Twelve Waiting In The Wings?
Sometimes the best stories end with the main character not surviving the final encounter. The type of tales where the hero becomes a martyr for the greater good is always bittersweet. They’re also really emotionally draining. As a bonus, they make sequels kind of tricky. Stranger Things was originally going to be a one-season show! According to early drafts, Eleven wasn’t supposed to survive the final fight.
Instead, her sacrifice would save the day. Once it was determined the show may be renewed for more seasons, a few changes were made to the script. It also helps that everyone on set fell in love with Millie Bobby Brown. There are no Stranger Things without Eleven. Brown got a career and we all got more seasons. Everyone wins!
Was It A Step-Down For Them?
When a child star is born (career-wise) they usually have some sort of television show or movie to thank for the big break. That’s not the case with Stranger Things. To get just the right cast for the show producers and casting had to look in some lofty places. Two of the kids weren’t just playing D&D somewhere before they were signed on.
Lucas and Dustin were already successfully working actors ON BROADWAY! Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) was acting with Les Miserables and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) was a literal prince as Young Simba in The Lion King! If they won major awards for those shows and Stranger Things, they’d be halfway to an EGOT before they even hit 18!
They’re Punny Just Like Us
Who doesn’t love a good pun? They’re witty, funny, and always a great way to get a chuckle. Regardless of how you feel, puns are everywhere. It’s not just your office’s “funny guy” who likes to use them. Even stars can’t help but pun it up every now and then. When the kiddos on Stranger Things were apart they still kept in touch.
Whenever they were out and about and wanted to chat, they sent each other texts. To keep things together, they formed their own text group! What do you think they called it? If you guess Stranger Texts then you’re ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Look, we said they were puns, not good ones.
Even Jerks Can Be Silly
Billy wasn’t just a bully. He was also a nightmare to deal with. Sometimes even the cute ones turn out to be completely unhinged. While he (probably) didn’t deserve what happened to him, the bully got his just desserts. How did the actor playing him get such a rough and tough part? He danced around in a g-string to 80s music while wearing a leather jacket.
There’s no joke here, just facts. During his audition, Dacre Montgomery wasn’t sure what to do. Instead of preparing some boring monologue, he went with his gut! That ballsy move ended up landing him a multi-season character arc on one of Netflix’s most popular shows ever! Not bad for doing a jig in your underwear for an audition.
Too Many Ropes To Cut Through
Even the shortest of scenes can take HOURS to shoot. Most of what the actors do well (or don’t do well) is left in the editing room. However, it’s not just the bad takes. Sometimes it’s all the sitting around that’s cut from a show. In season three, when those dubious agents were interrogating Steve and Robin, the actors were actually tied to their chairs!
The set was so detailed the knots were authentic. Despite looking great, this came with a downside: no bathroom breaks. The two actors were tied together for over six hours! It would’ve taken too long to untie and retie the ropes. Instead of wasting time they opted to power through the scene without a break. Intense!
Do Double Roles Equal Double Pay?
It’s not always the stars of a show doing the hardest work on set. A lot of great scenes are only possible thanks to the stunt and body doubles the actors work with! Unfortunately, these often-faceless people rarely get the credits and accolades they’re due, even when they’re covering more than one role! Take Kamryn Poole for example.
Recognize the name? No. Recognize her face? Maybe. Poole works as Natalia’s stunt double in season three. Oh, and she’s also Millie Bobby Brown’s stunt double! Double stunts, double the stars! Someone give her double the screen time and pay as well, please.
If At First, You Don’t Succeed…
Just like getting a book published, pitching a show can take a while to get right. No matter how good your material is, you gotta present it in just the right way to a company before getting the green light. When Stranger Things was being pitched, executives had issues with adults and kids being included in the same story. We’re not sure why, that’s one of the elements that make the series as great as it is!
Despite it taking almost twenty attempts, the creators found a sweet spot and landed the pitch! Just imagine what would happen if the show was made years ago and only focused on Hopper or Eleven, but not both. Weird.
He’s The King Of Horror After All
Whether you’re a big reader or not, Stephen King has touched your life somehow. As the master of written horror, King’s contribution to the artistic world is immeasurable. It’s not uncommon for many modern horror franchises to throw a bone his way with a reference to show their appreciation. Stranger Things is no different.
If you watch closely, they nod in King’s direction multiple times throughout the series! One of the first and most noticeable references is in Season 1. Pay attention to the book that’s seen in the morgue. Notice anything? Yep! It’s Cujo, one of King’s most famous animal-centric tales!