Noah Schnapp on Will coming out as gay in Stranger Things 5

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from Season 5, Part 2 of ‘Stranger Things’ now streaming on Netflix.

Ever since ‘Stranger Things’ first debuted on Netflix in 2016, it was clear that Noah Schnapp’s Will Byers was different from his friends. His own father mockingly called him queer, as his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) explains early in season 1. And while he shared his friends’ affinity for playing Dungeons & Dragons, biking around town, and delving into the latest pop culture, fantasy, or scientific phenomenon from the ’80s setting, Will disappeared during the very first episode, leaving the boy with the big eyes and bowls standing out from the group.

Despite his friends rescuing him from the Upside Down at the end of the first season, Will only became more distinctive as the series progressed. As his friends matured and found girlfriends, he remained outside the group, not only because of his traumatic abduction, but also because of a more elusive sense of isolation. In season 3, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) snaps at Will because he doesn’t like girls, further leading to fan speculation about the character’s sexuality.

These speculations seemed to be confirmed, but never explicitly stated, in season 4, when Will breaks down in his attempt to express his feelings towards Mike. However, it isn’t until Season 5, Episode 7, “The Bridge,” that Will finally admits to his friends, “I don’t like girls.”

The emotional monologue that concludes the penultimate episode of the series is a powerful, moving and poignant portrayal of Will’s long-awaited coming out. It will pay off as Will moves toward self-acceptance and security. Although the character spent much of the series as a victim, he takes center stage as a hero in season 5, and in the season’s fourth episode, which concluded part 1, it was revealed that he has wizard-like supernatural abilities.

These triumphant moments also demonstrate Schapp’s growth as an actor over the decade he spent playing Will. The upcoming monologue is Schnapp’s most emotionally intense and extended monologue in the series. The performance is further accentuated by Schapp’s real relationship with the subject, after he publicly came out as gay in 2023.

Variety spoke with Schnapp to explain the key scene, how he crafted it with series creators Matt and Ross Duffer and director Shawn Levy, and his feelings about closing the book on his decade-plus role on “Stranger Things.”

At what point did you find out that Will would be coming out in Season 5, Episode 7?

You know it’s coming. This season we read the first six episodes together, and I thought, “Okay, it hasn’t happened yet, so it’ll be in episode 7 or 8,” which hadn’t been written yet. So starting in January of filming, I kept texting the Duffers all year long: “Is it done? Have you written it? Is it in 7 or 8? How are you going to write it?” Finally they said they had it, and I read it towards the end of the year, in August or September. And I was just in tears. It was perfect.

Did you get a chance to workshop the script with the Duffers or with Shawn Levy, who co-directed “The Bridge” with the Duffers?

I was worried I might need that, but honestly it was perfect. I didn’t actually have any notes on it.

Do you remember the reactions of your fellow actors when you first rehearsed the scene, or did you do a table read? Shawn Levy told us the reactions on camera were genuine.

To be honest, I was so wrapped up in my emotions and what I was feeling that I kind of shut out everyone around me. I had to because it was so nerve-wracking knowing the entire cast was watching me. I had Winona next to me, and the boys and Maya [Hawke] around me. It was all a blur. I don’t really remember anyone’s reactions, but watching it back, it was fun to see. It felt real.

How many takes did you take of the scene?

Oh my God, it was endless. It was like a twelve-hour day of just that monologue. And we weren’t even done after the 12 hour day. We came back a week later to reshoot certain parts of the scene for another twelve hours. It was like, “Oh my God, how many more times can I do this scene?” But it was also fun because I got to try so many different things. I never felt like I was stuck with anything. I got advice from Maya on how to prepare for it because there were so many lines, more lines than I had ever had before.

Maya speaks like crazy, so I asked, “How do you learn all these lines without thinking about them in the scene?” She said: “It’s not how well you know it, it’s how long you’ve known it, so prepare for it months in advance.” So I watched it every day morning and evening for months before shooting, but I didn’t prepare how to say it or how to feel. It would just be obvious to say the lines out loud without emotion, just to let it sink in. But on that day I was able to explore the feelings and emotions, and it was nice to have those 12 hours to play and feel. The cast was so friendly. I will never forget how supportive they were that day and how respectful and giving they were to me because they had to sit there all night and just hear me talk. They supported me from all these angles, where they weren’t even caught on camera. They could have sat or hung out in Video Village, but they were all sheltered in place all day. It was really special.

In those twelve hours of shooting, did you film versions of the scene that were different from what ended up in the final version?

There were so many different choices in the different shots. I remember being asked, “Do you want to do your close-up first or do you want to do this at the end of the day?” Because that was the key shot. So I might start with a wide and kind of explore and feel the scene and then go to the close-up, or go straight into it. I really struggled with whether I was ready to tackle it first, or comfortable with it. I decided at the last minute, “Let’s start with the close-up. I’m ready to go and I just want to do it.” And then it was like one of the first takes of the day, and that was the biggest part of the scene. It was so nice because it wasn’t exhausted yet. It was real and raw and I’m glad I did it that way.

Was there anything that surprised you about the last part of the scene and the way it was edited?

Literally before every scene I’m like, “Oh, I didn’t expect that.” You don’t realize the power of editing and how it can change a scene. For this scene it was fun because there were moments where I was trying to do the first paragraph of the monologue for the boys where it was much sadder, and there were moments where I was much happier reliving the memories with them. I’m glad they edited it the way they did, where it’s nice to see him not only sobbing through the whole scene, but also smiling a little through the memories and giving that lighter feeling. It makes the blow harder.

It’s interesting that Will says, “I don’t like girls” instead of “I’m gay.” How was that formulation decided? Was there a fear of being too explicit, or do you think Will is still figuring out his identity?

Yes, I noticed that and I specifically talked to the Duffers about it. We have to remember that this is the eighties. When I came out, I didn’t say the word “gay.” It’s hard and it feels scary to say it. I can’t imagine how much more pressure there was in the ’80s and how much more there was to lose. When Will first comes to terms with it in front of his friends, he’s probably afraid to use that word, but there’s nothing wrong with it. I think he preferred to phrase it that way.

Do you think discovering he’s a wizard has given Will the confidence to embrace what makes him different? How did discovering Will’s new power change your approach to the character?

I think it helps him accept himself, and you see it all the way from the beginning of the season. He is a bit more assertive and confident. It’s fun to play that side of him, and not just play someone who’s always running around everywhere. Even with the coming out scene, it was so nice to have so much dialogue and actually be able to express myself through my words, which this character has never really done up until that point.

You share many of those scenes with Winona Ryder. What was it like working so closely with her this final season after playing her son for almost a decade?

It was really special. I was a little sad in seasons 3 and 4 that I got separated from her, and I really missed working with her. She’s one of my favorite scene partners and people, and it’s been so much fun being with her for most of this season. I feel so comfortable with her, and it was hard to say goodbye. I didn’t expect that I would have so much trouble letting her go on that last day. I didn’t want to let her go and I realized that during these ten years at work she really became a mother figure to me.

You also share a lot of scenes with Maya Hawke this season. How was working with her?

We’ve definitely gotten closer. Before then I had hardly spoken to Maya. I mean, I don’t even think we were friends. Now we’ve spent the entire season together, and she’s part of my little “Stranger Things” family.

Finally, this season you had the opportunity to work with younger actors. For so long, you and the main ensemble were the youngest people in the show. What was it like having new up and coming actors on set now who maybe looked up to you?

It definitely helped me realize, “Wow, we’ve come this far. We’re not kids anymore.” They’re looking at us. You always have the feeling that you know nothing and that you have so much more to learn, but then you realize that we have been here for ten years and that we now have some experience. It was fun working with them and they were so cute. They just brought this childlike energy that reminded us that we were kids too. I made handshakes with them and felt like I was twelve years old again. It was so much fun.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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