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Gaten Matarazzo Reflects on 'Worst' Audition as Stranger Things Sets Three-Part Final Season Rollout

His comments frame the show's end through personal growth rather than plot teases.

Overview

  • The final season will arrive in three drops on Netflix: four episodes on November 26, episodes five through seven on December 25, and the series finale on December 31.
  • Matarazzo, now 23, said his original taped audition was "one of the worst" of his life, though a callback ultimately landed him the role of Dustin.
  • He recalled learning he’d won the part while in a car with his mother, who screamed before he returned to the call to accept the offer.
  • In new interviews he reflects on growing up as a child star, saying he missed out on some experiences and offering simple advice to new young actors to focus on having fun.
  • He also addressed a 2024 viral partying video, saying Netflix informed him it was circulating and reassured him it showed him "having a little bit of fun," while he previewed Dustin starting season five "in a bit of a funk" against a backdrop of Hawkins’ military quarantine and an intensified search for Eleven.