Perhaps the most frightening scene in the first season of “Stranger Things” is the final classroom encounter — but that’s actually not the part of the show that scared star Gaten Matarazzo the most.
“The quarry scene,” Matarazzo told TheWrap when asked what scared him the most. “By the cliff where we had to run, especially because I felt bad for Finn [Wolfhard]. Because Finn, when he was running, fell and tumbled down a little bit of a hill and scratched up his hand pretty good — he’s still got a scar from it.”
That scene, in which the boys have an altercation with another boy until Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) saves them, actually turned out to be the toughest one Matarazzo had to film last season: running “full sprint next to a large cliff” proved difficult because he claims he’s not a runner.
The buzzy Netflix show also stars Natalia Dyer, David Harbour, Charlie Heaton, Shannon Purser, Joe Keery, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Winona Ryder. And Matarazzo pointed out one actor in particular who definitely deserves an Emmy for their performance.
“Winona Ryder because she’s making a comeback in this show and her performance is so emotionally compelling and she represents the stages of grief so well,” he explained. “She has a way of having the audience get a connection with Will [Schnapp] through her.”
Matarazzo has big ideas for his character in upcoming seasons. While the cast and crew have remained relatively mum about the upcoming season — except for hinting a “darker and more eerie” show — he hopes his character Dustin can get more screen time in which he showcases his personal life.
“I hope I get to explore more of his life at home,” he said. “He doesn’t have any scenes by himself in the first season. He’s really just with his friends, you don’t get into see into his room or his family life. That would be cool if we get to see what his house his like and what his life with the family is.”
“Stranger Things” Season 2 will premiere this Halloween.
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