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Millie Bobby Brown on handling fame: 'My job is to act, not be famous'
TOKYO, JAPAN — Millie Bobby Brown has undoubtedly made it big at the age of 15. And meeting her in a roundtable interview in Tokyo for the upcoming third season of Netflix's "Stranger Things," it's not hard to see how it happened.
Millie is naturally charismatic and funny, and the way she handles herself surprisingly mature, given her age.
The English actress catapulted to stardom at the tender age of 12 when she played Eleven in the super popular Netflix's science-horror fiction series "Stranger Things," but it's clear that she has her feet planted firmly on the ground.
"I have one job. My job is to act. My job isn’t to be famous, you know? Fortunately and unfortunately, fame comes with acting. And acting is my favorite thing on earth," she said.
Outside of her filmography, Millie was appointed as the youngest UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2018. She described this new platform as one of the "positive aspects of fame."
Through this, she is able to push her advocacy which revolves around children's rights.
"My message was children’s rights, making sure that children are fulfilling their dreams, and deserving what they deserve, their education, clean water, vaccines, a home, a family, and love. A safe place to be," she said.
"Luckily UNICEF had given me that platform, they’re very passionate about youth empowerment, and that’s something that I’m really passionate about, and it was a match, it was really a match," she added.
Perhaps another reason why Millie is so grounded is the stellar examples she has around her, chief of whom is her "Stranger Things" co-star, Winona Ryder, who was once a child actor herself.
"She’s definitely experienced the same as us. She was a young child actor, so she definitely helped us in that respect. She’s very relatable because she went literally through the same thing," she said of Winona's relatability.
The teen star also looks up to David Harbour, who plays her father figure onscreen, Jim Hopper.
"David [Harbour] is just like one of my favorite people, he is just incredibly talented. I learn something new from him every day. He deserves every award on this planet... He is someone I look up to, he’s truly an inspiration as an actor and he has experienced so many different things," she said.
According to Millie, hardly anything changed with her "Stranger Things" co-stars. They treat each other with respect, and as equals. In fact, they've only gotten closer.
"All I can say is that I’m so lucky to have worked with my best friends, and to experience all of this with my best friends. Not even just in the show, but when we go to awards shows, to have your best friend on your arm, and when you’re nervous, you look at them and say, are you feeling what I’m feeling too?" she said.
Starring alongside Millie since Season 1 are teen stars Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Noah Schnapp (Will), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas).
Sadie Sink (Max) was introduced in the second season, but is playing a huge role as Eleven's BFF in Season 3.
"We just relate to each other. It’s like, I’m not going through this alone. And that’s why we keep each other so close. We don’t talk to each other every day. We don’t talk to each other for months sometimes. But when we do talk to each other, it’s like we’re going right back to our old ways again," Millie said.
Presently, Millie is riding the success of two season of Stranger Things, with a third on the way.
She was also recently cast in her first film, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" as Madison Russel, a development that was nothing but thrilling for her.
"It’s so overwhelming to be in such a film that’s such a legacy. Godzilla is literally one of the biggest stars in Hollywood," she said.
"Just to be part of such a legacy was so attractive to me, and I loved to be part of something like that," she added. "I like to be part of things that are going to be remembered." — LA, GMA News
Stranger Things Season 3 will start streaming on Netflix, July 4.
