Millie Bobby Brown says growing up in the public eye left her questioning people’s motives but not Noah Schnapp’s

Highlights:

• The 21-year-old star reflects on life under constant spotlight
• Talks about friendships that helped her stay grounded
• Opens up as Stranger Things season 5 nears release
• Says there is “pressure to get it all right” when fame hits early

It is not easy growing up in the public eye and Millie Bobby Brown knows that better than most. She was 12 when she first played Eleven in Stranger Things. Now 21 and married, looking back as the Netflix hit ends with its fifth season, she admits it has been “challenging but life-changing.”

“I think there’s a pressure to get it all right,” she said in a recent interview ahead of the show’s final season. “If you really looked closely at anyone’s life, you could pick them apart. So, yes, it has been tough, but I have had the best people around me.”

Millie Bobby Brown reflects on fame and friendship ahead of Stranger Things season 5 release Getty Images

Millie to Eleven

Fame came at her fast. One week she was a kid sending in tapes, the next she was being fitted for red carpet outfits. Everything, including her haircuts, friendships, and what she wore, got talked about. “I basically grew up with people watching me,” she said. “There is no handbook for that.”

She says what helped most was having the Stranger Things gang beside her. “We were all figuring it out at the same time,” she said. “That kind of friendship saved me more than once.”

Millie Bobby Brown shares what helped her stay real while fame changed everythingGetty Images

Her friendship with Noah Schnapp stands out

Ask Millie about the biggest takeaway from her years on the show, and she does not hesitate; it is Noah Schnapp. They met on Stranger Things and just stuck together through everything that followed.

“I truly do not know what I would be doing without Noah,” she said. “He is my best friend, my family. Every friendship I have had after that, I compare to ours. It is so rare.”

“When you grow up in this industry, you start questioning people’s motives. With Noah, I never do. His heart is pure, and that is everything,” she said.

Millie Bobby Brown says Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp kept her grounded through fameGetty Images

What Stranger Things means to her now

With season 5 set to release soon, the actor says saying goodbye feels “surreal.” For nearly a decade, she has been part of a show that defined her teenage years. “It is emotional,” she said. “But I am so grateful. It has given me friends, lessons, and a voice.”