Noah Schnapp Shares Romantic Instagram Post with New Boyfriend
Noah Schnapp, the 21-year-old actor renowned for his role as Will Byers in Netflix's hit series Stranger Things, has publicly revealed his new boyfriend on Instagram. The announcement comes just over three years after Schnapp first came out as gay in January 2023.
Instagram Story Reveals Relationship Milestone
On Wednesday, Schnapp took to his Instagram stories to post a tender photograph of himself and a mystery man. The image captured the couple from behind as they stood on a rooftop, gazing out at a city skyline. Over the picture, Schnapp added the text: 'One month of us,' accompanied by a red heart emoji.
The actor has not yet disclosed the identity of his new boyfriend, keeping fans guessing about who the special person might be. This relationship news marks a significant personal milestone for Schnapp, who has been open about his journey with sexuality.
Reflecting on His Coming Out Journey
Schnapp's public coming out occurred in January 2023 when he uploaded a video to TikTok. In the post, he wrote: 'When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was "we know."'
The video featured Schnapp mouthing along to audio that said: 'You know it never was that serious, it was never that serious, quite frankly we will never be that serious.' At the time, the actor noted the parallels with his Stranger Things character, remarking: 'I guess I'm more similar to Will Byers than I thought!'
Connection to His Stranger Things Character
Back in 2022, Schnapp had confirmed that his character Will Byers was gay and in love with his on-screen best friend Mike Wheeler. He told Variety: 'Obviously, it was hinted at in Season 1: It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends?'
'Now that he's gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it's 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike. But before, it was a slow arc,' Schnapp explained. He praised the writing, saying it had been 'done so beautifully, because it's so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay.'
Defending the Character's Coming Out Scene
During the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, which premiered late last year, Will Byers officially came out as gay in a five-minute scene. Some viewers criticized the moment as 'woke' and out of place in the episode titled The Bridge.
Schnapp defended the scene to The Hollywood Reporter, stating that the script had been 'perfect' and adding that 'no part of that scene felt forced or produced' for his character. 'Part of that was how much I spent preparing, and part of that was my cast and how gracious they were,' he said.
The actor recalled watching the scene back and finding it 'really sweet and emotional.' He also shared his preparation process: 'I reread a lot of coming-out texts that I had sent when I was going through it myself, and scrolled in my camera roll, looking through pictures at that time of my life when I was coming to terms with that.'
Support from Co-Stars and Personal Growth
Schnapp has spoken openly about the support he received after coming out, particularly from his co-star Millie Bobby Brown. He told Variety: 'I kept trying to do it in person with her, and it was too hard. So then I just FaceTimed her one day in the middle of a Party City and I was like, "Millie, I'm gay." And she was like, "Oh, Schnapper! You told me finally!"'
The actor also credited his Stranger Things character with helping him accept his own sexuality. 'Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself,' Schnapp explained. 'I would be in a completely different place if I didn't have Will to portray, and to embrace and help me accept myself. I think if I never played that character, I probably would still be closeted.'
Looking to the Future
As Stranger Things has concluded after its fifth season, Schnapp reflected on the end of the series. 'I will never forget that last day and how that last scene felt - it was just so surreal,' he told the Los Angeles Times. 'The goodbye was hard. I grappled with this feeling like my life is over and I'm in a crisis, this is my whole identity and all I've ever known, and now it's ending.'
When asked about potentially returning to the role of Will Byers, Schnapp responded: 'I think my work is done with that character. The story for him has been told. So if that ever happened, I would honestly probably stay away from that.' However, he expressed interest in working with the show's creators again, saying he would 'love to work with the Duffers again on another project.'
Looking ahead, Schnapp shared his career aspirations: 'I'd love to do theater. I loved doing that as a kid and want to explore that. And do other films. But no set path, I'm just excited for what's next.'
