Noah Schnapp, the actor behind Will Byers in the global phenomenon 'Stranger Things', has publicly defended a pivotal five-minute scene in the show's final season. The moment, which sees his character come out, has faced significant online criticism for being overly 'woke' and tonally misplaced amidst the high-stakes battle against the villain Vecna.
An Emotional and 'Perfect' Script
Schnapp, 21, who publicly came out himself on TikTok in 2023, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter this week. He described the script for the episode, titled 'The Bridge', as 'perfect'. He insisted that for his character, 'no part of that scene felt forced or produced'. The actor credited his intense preparation and the supportive atmosphere created by his castmates for the scene's authenticity.
'Part of that was how much I spent preparing, and part of that was my cast and how gracious they were,' Schnapp explained. He became emotional recalling the on-screen reactions, particularly that of Charlie Heaton, who plays his brother Jonathan. 'After we cut, I remember hugging Charlie for real and crying, and it all felt so real.'
Drawing from Personal Experience
To connect with the raw emotion of the scene, Schnapp delved into his own past. During the gruelling 12-hour shoot and a subsequent 12-hour reshoot day – for which he earned a reported $7 million for the season – he listened to music and revisited personal artefacts.
'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,' the New York-born actor recalled. He admitted the process was exhausting, not least because much of the filming took place in the middle of the night.
Audience Backlash and Future Plans
Despite Schnapp's passionate defence, the episode has met with a notable negative reaction from a segment of the audience. 'The Bridge' currently holds a dismal 5.5 rating on IMDb, and the audience score for the entire fifth season on Rotten Tomatoes has dipped to 56%.
Looking ahead, Schnapp has bought ten tickets for the two-hour series finale, 'The Rightside Up', which is getting a special cinematic release in 500 US theatres. He expressed excitement about experiencing the finale alongside fans. Regarding the ending, he promised viewers would be 'satisfied', stating, 'They really left nothing more to be told.'
Next, the three-time SAG Award nominee is set to present at the 31st Annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 4, despite the show receiving no nominations. He will also complete his studies at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania next year and plans to explore theatre. Schnapp's career began at age nine with roles in Steven Spielberg's 'Bridge of Spies' and as the voice of Charlie Brown.
