Strangers Things star and fan favourite Gaten Matarazzo has revealed his strangest encounter with a fan, which left him uncomfortable. It occurred at a recent meet-and-greet and was a particularly inappropriate exchange.
Matarazzo has played Dustin in the Netflix drama since joining in 2016; he was only 13 when he first started. As we head into the fifth and final season, the cast is left to reflect on how much of a hit the show has been, and with that, a number of strange fan encounters follow.
During a recent appearance on the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, the actor was asked if he had had any fun fan interactions recently. Matarazzo spoke about an event at a meet and greet when a mother confessed she had previously had a crush on him in front of her daughter.
“I did [an event] very recently – and this is not very funny, but the reactions around it were quite funny,” he said, “Where this woman in her 40s said straight up, ‘I’ve had a crush on you since you were 13.”
Realising the strangeness of the comment, Matarazzo gave the woman a chance to correct herself, “I was like, ‘That’s upsetting,’ I’m sure she just meant, ‘Aw, this kid’s cute’, but then she doubled down,” he recalled. “She was like, ‘I’m aware of the age difference’… And her daughter was with her, and her daughter goes, ‘Mum, what the fuck?’ I swear to God.”
That’s not the only inappropriate fan interaction that Matarazzo has endured. He also recalled moments when fans have grabbed his bum when they’ve been having a photo together. He commented that he resents the relevance that comes with the show slightly because of these awkward encounters but also acknowledges the positives that being in Stranger Things has done for his career.
“I am very okay with Stranger Things being very likely the biggest thing I will ever do,” he said, “And It will most likely be the thing I am remembered for even if I consistently work after this.”
Matarazzo continued, “And I am so cool with that as long as it facilitates happiness going forward, security, and more work… What more could I ask for? I don’t want to maintain a sense of relevance at this point when it isn’t even something I particularly enjoy that much.”