The makers of “Stranger Things” deliberately didn't inform actor Noah Schnapp about key details for his character's arc in the new season
Share
LOS ANGELES — The makers of “Stranger Things” deliberately didn't inform actor Noah Schnapp about key details for his character's arc in the new season.
Schnapp said he wasn't told about the twist before his castmates because no one "trusted" him with the information, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
The 21-year-old actor's alter ego Will Byers' disappearance into the Upside Down kickstarted the Netflix sci-fi drama a decade ago and as the first volume of season five dropped this week, it was revealed just how close a connection his character has to Vecna and his demogorgons because he's able to channel the villain's own powers.
"I remember the scripts being written the year prior, and Shawn Levy and some of some of the directors not telling me explicitly, because they never trust me with any of the information,” he told variety.com.
"But they told me, like, 'Sit tight, be excited, like, there’s some good stuff coming.' I was like, 'Oh, OK, whatever.' We only get the scripts a week or so before the table reads. I read Episode 4 the day of the table read, because I was like, 'OK, I have to make sure I know my parts a little bit so I don’t sound like an idiot.'
"So I was skimming it, and then, like, literally, in the shower getting ready, I got to the end, and I was like, 'Oh my God!' I ran out of the shower screaming."
Schnapp said it took a lot of self-control not to spill his characters secrets.
He said: "I lived with an assistant. Her name is Brooke. And I was like, 'Brooke! Oh, my God, I have powers!' I wanted to tell everyone I knew. And of course, I had to wait two years for anyone to see it. But: coolest thing ever."
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer gave Schnapp the freedom to express Will's newfound powers, and he relished the challenge.
He said: "They kind of just left it up to me, which was a challenge, but exciting. There’s so much, with the Demo-vision as well — just all of these supernatural things that are presented brand new and there’s no reference to anything in the show or anything in real life, so you kind of just have to create it on your own.
"I remember FaceTiming the Duffers before establishing how the powers work, because you learn later in the season that it comes differently than El’s powers. So I wanted to show that in his physicality and the way he stretches out his hands.
"One of the hardest parts of the season was just figuring out, even with the Demo-vision, like, OK, so he’s entering into the view of the Demogorgon. How do I show that? And how do I show that he’s switching channels through the different Demogorgons?"