Actress Sadie Sink, known for her role as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, has shared her journey of self-discovery. She reflects on how she was always “resistant” to opening up about herself when younger. However, she now feels grateful for that choice, believing it enhances the believability of her performances.
“When I was younger, I thought maybe I needed to be more open about who I was because there’s so much public interest. But I was always resistant, and now I’m really grateful because I’d rather people see me as Max than Sadie. If I can leave myself out of it, then I’ve done my job,” Sink explained in a conversation with Australia’s ELLE magazine.
Joining Stranger Things in its second season, Sink initially felt apprehensive about fitting in with the established cast. Looking back on old footage of her early days, she was filled with emotion at how quickly they bonded.
“My mum and I were just talking about it yesterday; we were going on a trip down memory lane and she showed me one of my favourite videos,” she recalled. “The boys are all in their Ghostbusters costumes and I’m in my Michael Myers (from Halloween) costume in the make-up trailer, and I think a Tears for Fears song is playing and we’re all dancing together—that was my first day of filming.”
The actress became emotional watching that video as she remembered how nervous she felt. “I remember feeling so nervous to be there, beyond being on a huge TV show, but with a group of established friends who loved each other so much, worrying about ‘Will I fit in?’ And now I see that I did. It’s such a precious video.”
As Stranger Things approaches its conclusion, Sadie believes that she will never fully “say goodbye” to her beloved character. “She’s such a huge part of me that I don’t think I can shrug her off. I could never say goodbye to her. I don’t need to play Max to know her. Saying goodbye to the show and cast was the harder part.”