Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp defended his five-minute-long coming out scene after widespread criticism over it being too ‘woke’ and out of place as the Hawkins gang face a potentially fatal battle against Upside Down baddie Vecna.
The 21-year-old former child star – who came out on TikTok in 2023 – called the episode seven script ‘perfect’ and said ‘no part of that scene felt forced or produced’ for his character Will Byers.
‘Part of that was how much I spent preparing, and part of that was my cast and how gracious they were,’ Noah Schnapp told THR on Tuesday.
‘But watching it back onscreen and getting to see everyone’s reactions was really sweet and emotional for me. Especially Jonathan [Byers’ reaction] got me teary. After we cut, I remember hugging Charlie [Heaton] for real and crying, and it all felt so real.’
When the three-time SAG Award nominee first read the scene aloud with his castmates he said ‘it was a little bit of a weight off my chest’ and he felt like, “OK, I can do this.”‘
Noah Schnapp – who scored a $7 million paycheck for the final season – listened to music to stay in the zone during the 12-hour day and a second 12-hour day of reshoots.
‘I reread a lot of coming-out texts that I had sent when I was going through it myself, and scrolled in my camera roll, looking through pictures at that time of my life when I was coming to terms with that,’ the native New Yorker recalled.
‘But trying to stay in it was hard, and it was the middle of the night too, so it was exhausting.’
The episode – titled ‘The Bridge’ – went on to score a dismal 5.5 IMDb rating and the entire season five audience score on Rotten Tomatoes dipped to 56 percent.
Noah Schnapp bought 10 tickets for himself, friends and family to see the two-hour series finale – fittingly called ‘The Rightside Up’ – when it hits 500 US theaters on Wednesday.
‘How exciting that we get to watch it in the movies among all the fans?’ the TenderFix founder gushed.
‘I’m so excited to hear their screams and the crying and the reactions, and to be there.’
As for the finale itself, Noah Schnapp promised: ‘I just think it was perfect. They really left nothing more to be told. I can say that you will be satisfied.’
The TBH co-founder will next serve presenting duties at the 31st Annual Critics’ Choice Awards – airing January 4 on E! and USA Network – despite Stranger Things not receiving any nominations.
Next year, Schnapp will finish up his studies at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and he plans on ‘trying theatre.’
The Jewish star has limited comments on his Instagram account since 2023 after receiving substantial backlash over his pro-Zionism stance amid the Gaza war.
Schnapp originally got his start, at age 9, portraying Roger Donovan in Steven Spielberg’s 2015 drama Bridge of Spies as well as voicing Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie.