Stranger Things’ MILLIE BOBBY BROWN ON WHICH CELEBS MAKE HER STARSTRUCK
STAR OF ‘STRANGER THINGS’ MILLIE BOBBY BROWN ON RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE A-LIST WHILE STILL BEING A NORMAL TEENAGER
Before 2016, not many people knew the name Millie Bobby Brown. But that all changed when the first series of scifi horror Stranger Things hit Netflix. Millie, 15, won huge acclaim as Eleven, the shaven-headed girl with telekinetic powers, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards, the first when she was only 13! With season three arriving next week, Millie – who was in the recent movie Godzilla: King Of The Monsters – is rumoured to be commanding a salary on par with her co-star Winona Ryder. She’s also tipped for a future role in the Star Wars franchise. No wonder she’s the youngest person to appear on Time’s 100 Most Influential People list.
Born in Spain but brought up in the States after a four-year spell in the UK, Millie is said to have struck up a friendship with Romeo Beckham after meeting him at a UNICEF gala last year, when she presented his dad with an award. She previously enjoyed a romance with internet star Jacob Sartorius and now hints there’s a famous singer who’s caught her eye!
Here, Millie, 15, chats about being starstruck by celebrities, dealing with ‘scary’ fans and why she’s jealous of kids who grew up in the ’80s…
How have you dealt with your sudden fame?
It’s always very fun to meet the fans but it can definitely be scary if they’re very fanatical. You have to ask them politely to treat you normally and not make a huge deal out of it. But I’m a crazy fan of The Vampire Diaries
and many other shows, so I get where they’re coming from.
When was the last time you were starstruck? The other day. I met a celebrity and I was a total fangirl! I silently freaked out over David Beckham when I met him. And Blake Lively. I screamed a bit! Mariah Carey waved at me once – I took that and never let it go.
Who are your favourite actresses?
Winona [Ryder] is definitely an inspiration to me. I love her in real life, too. Angelina Jolie is another amazing actress. And Blake Lively. I love her to bits! She’s a great actress and really great as a person. Plus, I really love her babies!
What do you like most about the ’80s era when
Stranger Things is set? I’m always very jealous of everyone that was born in the ‘80s. They had so much freedom. They could ride their bikes around the neighbourhood. Nowadays I can’t go out of the house too far, but even before Stranger Things, I couldn’t do that because it’s dangerous. The ’80s had some great fabrics too! The bright colours and the big hairstyles are fun and I love the old Coca-cola cans. And this show got me into David Bowie. All the boys in the cast are beautiful and handsome – but they’re like brothers to me, so that’s weird. Zac Efron has always been: ‘Phew!’ But now I know him, so that’s also weird. There is a singer that I have a crush on, but I can’t say his name out loud because I’m obsessed with him.
How would you describe your sense of style? I’m not into diamonds and pearls. I go more for sneakers. I wore sneakers on the SAG Awards red carpet last year. I’m not trying to act like a 25 year old. I’m going to act like a 15 year old.
You’re incredibly mature for your age. How much time do you have to be a kid?
People don’t seem to think I have a childhood. But my life at home is full of baking and burning cakes, going to the park with my little sister Ava and swimming. I have three dogs and a cat, so I’m also very into animals. I’m dedicated to my school work, too. I’m lucky because the kids on our show are very close. We understand each other very well.
You began acting classes at a young age. Did you always know you’d be an actress? When you’ve loved it from the very beginning, you know you’re going to be doing it forever. This is my passion. It’s not something that I have to do to have money and I don’t do it to be famous.
I do it because I love it. I want to continue to grow as an actor and do more mature things. Eventually, I’ll be able to play a 20-year-old woman and that’s very exciting to me!