Stranger Things star admits his role on hit series helped him come out as gay

07 August 2023 , 18:48

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Noah Schnapp shared his journey to coming out revealing that his Stranger Things character Will Beyers being gay helped him accept his own sexuality (Image: Getty Images)

Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp revealed that if it wasn't for his famous character Will Beyers being coming out as gay, he would "probably would still be closeted."

The huge Netflix star bravely shared his journey of revealing his sexuality in a candid interview, saying the show helped him after almost 18 years of keeping it to himself. The young actor shared that after Will's sexuality became "front and centre" of the horror-drama Stranger Things, he finally felt comfortable enough to share his sexuality with the world after never breathing a word about it his whole life.

"Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself,” Noah said. "I would be in a completely different place if I didn’t have Will to portray, and to embrace and help me accept myself. I think if I never played that character, I probably would still be closeted.”

In Stranger Things season four Will Byers' sexuality is confirmed as it is revealed he has romantic feelings for his best friend Mike Wheeler (Courtesy of Netflix)

Since the hit series debuted in 2016, fans questioned Will's sexuality, after hints the character had a crush on Mike. Noah avoided these questions from social media and the press until the summer of 2022 when Will's sexuality is confirmed. In season four, audiences see the painful hurt Will felt when accepts his best friend Mike will never share the same romantic feelings for him during a car ride to save Eleven.

Noah explained in his chat Variety, that similarly, he had been deflecting questions about his sexuality in real life for years. He confessed that he had a coming out video saved to his drafts for months, but kept waiting for the right moment to post. He kept feeling like it was never the right time until January 5 when he pressed send on the TikTok during a long drive to drop off his sister to college.

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Noah Schnapp came out in January when he posted a TikTok to a viral audio (Dave Benett/Getty Images for evi)

In the TikTok, for his over 32 million followers to see, Schnapp was laying in bed lip-syncing to the viral audio, "You know what it never was? That serious." With a text box above his head that read: "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know.'" And wrote the witty caption: "I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought.”

The star's TikTok was met with an outpour of love and acceptance from the LGBTQ community, with fans applauding Schnapp for his courage. Noah said after posting he shut his phone off, but after the drive was over he finally gave in and checked and said his video was met with "thousands of texts of hearts and congratulations and rainbow flags." He said he felt an instant rush of relief and happiness and confessed: "I was crying. I was like, ‘I made it. I’m done. I don’t have to worry.’”

Caroline Gaspich