{"id":594692,"date":"2025-11-26T09:17:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T09:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/594692\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T09:17:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T09:17:39","slug":"noah-schnapp-is-terrifyingly-excited-for-final-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/594692\/","title":{"rendered":"Noah Schnapp Is Terrifyingly Excited for Final Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIt\u2019s safe to say Noah Schnapp<\/a> is in his feels because Stranger Things<\/a> isn\u2019t the only thing coming to an end.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs the fifth and final season of the hit Netflix show approaches<\/a>, the 21-year-old actor is preparing to part ways with a character who has been with him for a decade. Schnapp made his debut as Will Byers in season one in 2016. He admits he was \u201cjust playing myself\u201d in the beginning: \u201cI was that shy, timid little boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBut over the course of 10 years, not only did Will grow up on screen but Schnapp did in real life as well, going on to attend the University of Pennsylvania to study film. But as he prepares to graduate next year, there\u2019s a lot to process with two big chapters nearing their final pages.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m graduating in a few months at the same time as the finale is coming out,\u201d he tells The Hollywood Reporter. \u201cAll these chapters of my childhood are closing, and now I\u2019m stepping into a brand new world of anything can happen. It\u2019s equally terrifying and exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBelow, Schnapp opens up about Will\u2019s journey in Hawkins and teases what fans can expect in the final season, which is releasing in three parts beginning on Thursday. He also chats about why he decided to go to college while filming the show, how he handles online criticism and what he\u2019s looking forward to most post-Stranger Things.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince Stranger Things and Will have been a part of your life for some time, what comes to mind when you reflect back on the actor you were at the beginning and who you are now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve found a lot more confidence as an actor. When I was younger, I was just there being pushed around and told what to do, trying to figure out what I\u2019m allowed to speak up for and not. Now I know my part in this whole project, and I\u2019m allowed to have a point of view and speak on it. I\u2019ve become a lot more collaborative with the directors and outspoken when I believe something is important for my character, and just trying to grow as an actor. When you\u2019re surrounded by so many talented people for so many years, you try to become a sponge. <\/p>\n

\n\tThere were several years in between filming seasons four and five. Were you nervous going into this final season, or\u00a0did you feel like you were returning\u00a0home in a sense?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThe most nervous, because this show grows and grows every year. With this final season also being the last, there was so much pressure on it. So I felt extremely nervous walking into the expectations we had to fulfill, but also excited to be back with the people I love and falling right back into place with these best friends I\u2019ve had since I was so young. We will be friends for the rest of our life, but the relationships we have while working together and filming and being together every day is unlike anything. I\u2019m always trying to be as present as possible through it.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNoah Schnapp and Maya Hawke in season five.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNetflix<\/p>\n

\n\tHow would you say Will has\u00a0changed this final season, compared to past ones?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tWill\u2019s been through so much, and all those trials and tribulations have shaped him into such a strong person because when you go through that much and you come out of it on the other side, you\u2019re just so much stronger and know so much more. In the beginning, Will was this really scared, shy little boy. He\u2019s grown into a really strong, self-assured character, and we get to see that in the first volume.<\/p>\n

\n\tIs there a special moment you recall from behind the scenes while filming season five?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThere are so many. We had Caleb [McLaughlin\u2019s] birthday [and] we all went out and stayed up super late. On my birthday, we went to a Charlie xcx concert together. We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving at Finn [Wolfhard\u2019s] House as a group. We do things outside of work to nurture our relationships. I was always at Millie [Bobby Brown\u2019s] house. Millie threw so many parties. She did a Halloween party and a July 4th party, and we\u2019re always having sleepovers over there. Being with them as much as I could was the most fun. And then, of course, the last day was the most memorable for me.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince Will has been with you for so long now, do you think there are parts of him that will stay with you forever?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tIn the first season, Will was just me. I was playing myself. That shy, timid little boy. Then as we\u2019ve grown, we\u2019ve kind of grown apart. We\u2019ve gone through different things that shaped us in different ways, and I think what\u2019s always been the same has been that sensitivity he has that I also feel, but I\u2019m a little more outspoken and silly. He\u2019s a little more closed off. But it\u2019s fun to insert parts of myself and then get to play different aspects. With the supernatural stuff, there\u2019s nothing I can really connect to myself, so getting to do that was really fun.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tGaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Finn Wolfhard back in season one.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEverett Collection<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat are you looking forward to most about seeing fan reactions once the final season releases?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve been holding it in for so long, so I\u2019ve been looking forward to the day this all drops. It\u2019s so touching and empowering. So getting to inspire a lot of people, and maybe even in the queer community for people to feel empowered to be themselves, I just can\u2019t wait to see how it touches people, and if it does.<\/p>\n

\n\tOverall,\u00a0what should Stranger Things fans\u00a0be prepared\u00a0for going\u00a0into\u00a0this epic final season?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tAnything can happen. The stakes are the highest they\u2019ve ever been. We\u2019re closing out the stories of our characters, so everything that\u2019s left has to be tied up. You get to see all those knots finally get closed, all those questions you\u2019ve been waiting to know you will get to figure out through the season. But it\u2019s definitely our most emotional and the one we\u2019ve put the most time and love into.<\/p>\n

\n\tAside from\u00a0your success in Hollywood at\u00a0a young age, you still decided to step away and attend college. What led you to that decision?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tGrowing up, education was always so important. Even on set, I went through so many different teachers. My parents were like, \u201cHe\u2019s not being educated well enough. He needs a math [teacher] and a different English teacher.\u201d It was always a priority to me. I always grew up valuing that path. And it was never really a question whether I would go to college or not, just more of what I would study. I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I wasn\u2019t rushing it. I wanted to have my childhood and get all those experiences first before rushing into everything and losing the sense of normal life. So I had to put some projects on the side burner to prioritize school. But now it\u2019s interesting because I\u2019m graduating in a few months at the same time the finale is coming out. So all these chapters of my childhood are closing, and now I\u2019m stepping into a brand new world of anything can happen. It\u2019s equally terrifying and exciting.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow did getting a formal education in film studies add to the knowledge you\u2019ve been able to gain working on set?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tAll I\u2019ve really known is acting. It\u2019s helped me explore and learn about other facets, taking screenwriting and directing classes and being like, \u201cOK, maybe I actually want to write a movie for myself, or maybe I want to direct something.\u201d So it\u2019s really piqued my interest outside of the acting world that I could do that too at some point. I\u2019m not a great screenwriter (Laughs). It\u2019s so hard, but hopefully one day we\u2019ll learn how to do that as well as the Duffers.<\/p>\n

\n\tDo you have a dream genre or role you would love to take on in the future?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tWhen I was younger, I always wanted to be Spider-Man and do a cool action hero role, but I feel like I got to do that now with Stranger Things. So now it\u2019s finding things that I\u2019ve never done before. I just want to defy expectations of what I\u2019ve done and do something completely different \u2014 maybe a comedy or playing a movie where I\u2019m madly in love with a girl or being the villain or something I\u2019ve never done. That\u2019s what I\u2019m seeking out next, and trying things outside the TV world, whether that be movies or theater [or] directing. Just really stepping out of what I\u2019ve known. I\u2019ve been in such a little bubble for these past 10 years with Stranger Things.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNoah Schnapp at the Stranger Things season five premiere November in Hollywood.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRodin Eckenroth\/Getty Images for Netflix<\/p>\n

\n\tYou also came out publicly a few years ago, so would you like to do any projects that spotlight the LGBTQ community?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tAbsolutely. If the right project comes that I feel really resonates, then I will. I don\u2019t want to just do anything. Because it\u2019s so personal to me, I\u2019ve been a little more picky with those kinds of projects. I want it to really resonate and mean something, and not just be another one for whatever diversity points. But I\u2019m absolutely open to that.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs someone who\u2019s\u00a0grown up in the spotlight, how\u00a0have you managed\u00a0the constant online criticism\u00a0and commentary?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tStill figuring it out, to be honest. When I was younger, I was really involved on social media and loved being right there with all the fans. I adore my fans. I love connecting with them. But as I\u2019ve gotten older, and honestly with advice for my co-stars who kind of have learned to manage the online presence with their own lives, I\u2019ve learned to value privacy a bit more and understand it\u2019s not healthy to be reading thousands of opinions about yourself every day, and creating some distance is good. I\u2019ve just learned to have a healthier relationship with social media, but it\u2019s hard. I\u2019m not going to lie. I\u2019m sensitive and I read everything, and it definitely gets to me and gets in my head. That\u2019s why I\u2019m so lucky to have these co-stars I can turn to and be reminded of what really matters.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen you\u2019re so public, everyone has an opinion or a thought on what you should do, what you shouldn\u2019t do, and there\u2019s no right way to do it. Everything is wrong in the public\u2019s eyes if you do it this way, if you do it that way. It\u2019s exhausting, and it\u2019s a lot of pressure to have to live up to these expectations of Hollywood. When you\u2019re 16, 17, you don\u2019t even know yourself yet. It\u2019s a weird experience, but I\u2019ve also met so many amazing fans and had such great conversations with so many people who really adore our show and my character, and that I keep with me forever. That is so important to me.<\/p>\n

\n\tIs there a moment in your career\u00a0so far that\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0most\u00a0proud of?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tWinning that SAG Award was a dream come true. That\u2019s probably one of the most memorable days, but this final season I\u2019m most proud of for our show. I\u2019m really proud that I\u2019ve been able to preserve a somewhat natural childhood and go to school and get a degree at an Ivy League school while also being on a show.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt sounds like it\u2019s almost your own version of Hannah Montana.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tFriends call me Hand Montana. Literally. It\u2019s so funny because I\u2019ll do this press tour, we\u2019ll go to the premiere, there\u2019s thousands of screaming fans, and then I come home at night and I have to join a Zoom and class. And my teacher\u2019s yelling at me that I missed the assignment from last week. And I\u2019m like, \u201cOh my God, this is literally Hannah Montana\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIf you had\u00a0to\u00a0describe\u00a0what makes Noah Schnapp, Noah Schnapp, what would you say?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tMaybe very unapologetically honest and myself, and I never put on any sort of facade. I think I\u2019m always very true to who I am.<\/p>\n

\n\tSeason five of\u00a0Stranger Things\u00a0will be released in three parts:\u00a0Volume 1 on Nov. 26\u00a0<\/a>(consisting of four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes) and The Finale on New Year\u2019s Eve. Read the\u00a0Duffer Brothers\u2019 rewatch recommendations ahead of the final season.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s safe to say Noah Schnapp is in his feels because Stranger Things isn\u2019t the only thing coming…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":594693,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,77,451,186969,174317,18500,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-594692","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-netflix","11":"tag-noah-schnapp","12":"tag-person-of-interest","13":"tag-stranger-things","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115615253686706771","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}