Millie Bobby Brown has said that she is ready to say goodbye to Stranger Things, as it is preventing her from taking on other projects.
The actress, 19, burst into the limelight at the tender age of 12 when she was cast in the hit Netflix show as Eleven in 2016.
But as the show is preparing to conclude with its fifth and final season, Millie says she’s prepared to leave it behind, likening it to graduating from high school.
Speaking to Glamour magazine, she said: ‘When you’re ready, you’re like, “All right, let’s do this. Let’s tackle this last senior year. Let’s get out of here”.’
She went on to point out that shooting for the show is lengthy and says it stops her from doing other things she ‘passionate about’.
Prepared: Millie Bobby Brown has said that she is ready to say goodbye to Stranger Things , as it is preventing her from taking on other projects
Huge role: The actress, 19, burst into the limelight at the tender age of 12 when she was cast in the hit Netflix show as Eleven in 2016 (pictured on show)
Ready to say goodbye: But as the show is preparing to conclude with its fifth and final season, Millie says she’s prepared to leave it behind, likening it to graduating from high school
Millie said: ‘Stranger Things takes up a lot of time to film and it’s preventing me from creating stories that I’m passionate about. So I’m ready to say, “Thank you, and goodbye”.
She says she’s ready to leave the show that shot her to stardom and grew up with after seven years because it’s given her ‘the tools and the resources to be a better actor.’
She bluntly adds that she won’t be sad because no one is dying, and stresses: ‘When it ends, I’m going to be able to still see these people.’
Millie has voiced her desire for the show to conclude before, telling Seventeen in March: I’m definitely ready to wrap up. I feel like there’s a lot of the story that’s been told now, and we know of it, it’s been in our lives for a very long time.
‘But I’m very ready to say goodbye to this chapter of my life and open new ones up. I’m able to create stories myself that are important to me and focus on the bigger picture. But I’m really grateful [for the show].’
In August she reiterated her readiness, telling Women’s Wear Daily: ‘I think I’m ready. It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year.
‘You’re ready to go and blossom and flourish and you’re grateful for the time you’ve had, but it’s time to create your own message and live your own life.’
Her co-stars have also spoken about their feelings surrounding the conclusion of the megahit series.
Wants to move on: She went on to point out that shooting for the show is lengthy and says it stops her from doing other things she ‘passionate about’ (pictured on show)
Helped her: She says she’s ready to leave the show that shot her to stardom and grew up with after seven years because it’s given her ‘the tools and the resources to be a better actor’
Friendships: She bluntly adds that she won’t be sad because no one is dying, and stresses: ‘When it ends, I’m going to be able to still see these people’ (Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard and Caleb McLaughlin pictured in 2017)
David Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper, shared similar thoughts to Millie, telling Discussing Film: ‘What’s funny is when I started the show, I never ever wanted it to end. That’s why I love the show.
‘I think it’s a great show, even if I wasn’t in it. Now we’re almost nine years from filming the first season, and I think it is time for it to end.’
He added: ‘But it is, of course, very bittersweet. You know, there’s a sadness there. But also, we’ve all grown up. It is time for us to leave that nest and try other things and different projects.
‘And to let the Duffer Brothers try different things as well. I mean, those guys are so talented. I want to see what they come up with next. So it is bittersweet, but it’s definitely time.’
However, Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard have admitted that they are less prepared to say their goodbyes.
Gaten, who plays Dustin Henderson, told Jimmy Fallon in March interview that he’s living in ‘deep fear’ of Stranger Things ending.
He said: ‘There’s kind of an excitement there because you always want to wrap it up and see how these characters are going to finally develop one last time, and how they’re going to finish their journeys.
‘But also there’s like a deep fear. Not only has it been amazing, but it’s been pretty great job security for a while. Back to freelance.’
Bittersweet: Her co-stars have also spoken about their feelings surrounding the conclusion of the megahit series, including David Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper (pictured with Millie in show)
Unprepared: However, Gaten Matarazzo (second right) and Finn Wolfhard (third left) have admitted that they are less prepared to say their goodbyes (Caleb McLaughlin, Millie, Finn, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Gaten and Priah Ferguson pictured in 2022)
While Finn, who plays Mike Wheeler, confessed to Uproxx in January that he was ‘not read’ for the end, though conceded ‘it would be ridiculous’ for it to continue beyond a fifth season.
He said: ‘[I’m] not ready but I’m just really excited to start working on it because after I finished watching season four, I just was like, “Damn, let’s just go back and film now.”
‘I just want to help finish it off, but not in a way of I want to be done with it. It’s just like I want to know what happens. I’m definitely sad about it, but also, I know that it’s the next kind of chapter of everyone’s life that needs to happen.’
He added: ‘I hope we kind of get an ending for each character that’s pretty satisfying for fans.’
