The makers of “Stranger Things” intentionally kept actor Noah Schnapp in the dark about crucial details regarding his character’s journey in the new season.
Schnapp revealed that he was not informed about a significant twist before his co-stars because no one “trusted” him with that information. The 21-year-old actor’s character, Will Byers, first went missing in the Upside Down, which sparked the Netflix sci-fi drama a decade ago. As the first volume of season five is released this week, it’s unveiled how deeply connected his character is to Vecna and the demogorgons, given his ability to channel the villain’s powers.
He shared, “I remember the scripts being written the year prior, and Shawn Levy and some of the directors not telling me explicitly, because they never trust me with any of the information.” Schnapp was advised to “sit tight, be excited, like, there’s some good stuff coming,” but he approached it with a casual attitude. “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.’”
In a memorable moment, Schnapp recounted realizing the twist while getting ready: “I literally got to the end in the shower and was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I ran out of the shower screaming.”
It required a lot of self-control for Schnapp not to share these character secrets. He mentioned, “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 allowed Schnapp the freedom to portray Will’s new abilities, and he embraced the challenge. “They kind of just left it up to me, which was a challenge, but exciting,” he noted. He elaborated on the supernatural aspects he had to create without prior references, stating, “There’s so much, with the Demo-vision as well — just all of these supernatural things that are presented brand new.”
Schnapp also discussed his collaboration with the Duffers while defining how the powers function. He expressed a desire to distinguish Will’s abilities from Eleven’s, showcasing this through his physical movements. “One of the hardest parts of the season was just figuring out, even with the Demo-vision, how to show that he’s entering into the view of the Demogorgon and how I show that he’s switching channels through the different Demogorgons.”