Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp being ‘picky’ about taking LGBTQ+ roles

Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp is looking beyond the end of the Netflix sci-fi smash, but has made it clear that he will be “picky” when it comes to taking on another LGBTQ+ role.

Schnapp ascended to international fame as Will Byers in Stranger Things, with the character being confirmed to be gay in season four, which aired back in 2022.

The upcoming fifth and final season is set to explore Will’s sexuality further as the character takes “centre stage” once again, with many fans keen to see a romance develop between Will and his best friend, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).

Schnapp himself came out as gay in early 2023, writing in a TikTok caption that he was more “similar” to Will than he thought.

While his best-known character to date is gay, Schnapp has said that he will be “picky” when it comes to playing an LGBTQ+ character in the future.

“If the right project comes that I feel really resonates, then I will,” he recently told The Hollywood Reporter about whether he’d take another LGBTQ+ role.

“I don’t want to just do anything. Because it’s so personal to me, I’ve been a little more picky with those kinds of projects. I want it to really resonate and mean something, and not just be another one for whatever diversity points. But I’m absolutely open to that,” he added.

As for how season five will wrap up Will and his journey with his sexuality, the 21-year-old actor told the publication that he hopes fans will find the end “empowering”.

“I’ve been holding it in for so long, so I’ve been looking forward to the day this all drops. It’s so touching and empowering. So getting to inspire a lot of people, and maybe even in the queer community for people to feel empowered to be themselves, I just can’t wait to see how it touches people, and if it does,” he explained.

While Will Byers is undoubtedly one of Stranger Things’ fan favourite characters, Schnapp has courted controversy in recent years due to his support for Israel amid the country’s military action in Gaza.

In November 2023, the actor was filmed laughing among people who were handing out stickers that read ‘Zionism is sexy’. The video received intense backlash on social media from advocates of a free Palestine.

In January 2024, Schnapp said that his thoughts on the crisis had been “misconstrued” and that he wanted “peace and safety and security for all innocent people affected by this conflict”.

Asked by The Hollywood Reporter about how he deals with online backlash, the star said that he is “still figuring it out”.

He explained that while he previously enjoyed being connected with his fans on social media, he has since learned to step away from platforms.

“As I’ve gotten older, and honestly with advice for my co-stars who kind of have learned to manage the online presence with their own lives, I’ve learned to value privacy a bit more and understand it’s not healthy to be reading thousands of opinions about yourself every day, and creating some distance is good,” he shared.

“When you’re so public, everyone has an opinion or a thought on what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, and there’s no right way to do it. Everything is wrong in the public’s eyes if you do it this way, if you do it that way. It’s exhausting, and it’s a lot of pressure to have to live up to these expectations of Hollywood,” he added.

When is Stranger Things season five released?

Stranger Things season five will be released in three volumes between November and January.

The first four episodes will be released on 26 November in the US (5pm PST) and on 27 November in the UK (1am GMT).

Episodes five, six and seven will be released on Christmas Day in the US, and Boxing Day, 26 December, in the UK.

The finale will air on New Year’s Eve in the US and New Year’s Day in the UK.

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