Noah Schnapp, who’s been in the spotlight from a young age thanks to his breakout role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, is opening up about his sexuality and what it’s been like growing up in the public eye.
The actor appeared on the cover of Time magazine with his Stranger Things castmates, opening up about how the show has helped shaped both his life and career. The first season aired on the streaming service back in 2016, and is set to conclude with its fifth season later this year.
Will and Noah Come Out
Will’s character gained major attention during season 4, as fans began speculating about his sexuality. Finding time to explore identity isn’t easy when you’re battling Demogorgons in the Upside Down and trying to keep your friends alive, but that season finally gave us a glimpse into his journey.
“Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing,” Schnapp told Variety at the time. “Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike. But before, it was a slow arc. I think it is done so beautifully, because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay.”
A few months later, Schnapp came out publicly. In a TikTok video captioned “I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought,” he joked that when he told his family and friends, they all said they already knew.
But before Will and his own coming out story made headlines, the young actor faced a lot of questions from press.
“When I was younger, I was obviously very scared of talking about it,” Schapp told Time. “They would pry and ask me, ‘Is he gay? Are you gay?’ I was 12, 13. I didn’t know what to say.”
Recently, stars have been coming forward, speaking out about how dangerous it can be to speculate one’s sexuality, especially to young adults. Kit Connor went through a similar situation, with fans and media questioning if he was queerbaiting by being a part of Heartstopper.
“I found it very disappointing, especially given my age – although I don’t think that it should be something that is speculated on at any age. I really wanted to have that boundary,” he told Interview Magazine.
“What I learned from that experience is that there are certain things I want to keep private in my life. I’ve also learned that people are always going to have something to say.
“Even with me coming out, people will still have something to say –whether they believe me or not, whether they suddenly think, ‘Oh, now he can play straight roles?’ But whatever they say, they’re going to say something.”
When to Watch Stranger Things
The final season of Stranger Things will play out in 3 parts, with Volume 1 releasing on November 26, 2025, Volume 2 on December 25, 2025, and the series finale on December 31, 2025.
