'Stranger Thgs' Star Noah Schnapp Com Out as Gay - Variety

Contents:

• ‘STRANGER THGS’ STAR NOAH SCHNAPP COM OUT AS GAY: ‘I’M MORE SIAR TO WILL THAN I THOUGHT’
• 'STRANGER THGS' ' NOAH SCHNAPP COM OUT AS GAY AFTER 'BEG SRED THE CLOSET FOR 18 YEARS'
• DO WILL BYERS E OUT AS GAY STRANGER THGS 4? HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS TO MIKE VOLUME 2
• STRANGER THGS’ NOAH SCHNAPP CONFIRMS WILL IS “GAY AND DO LOVE MIKE”IN A NEW TERVIEW, THE ACTOR ALSO TEASED A SEASON FIVE G-OUT SCENE AND APOLOGIZED TO DOJA CAT FOR SHARG THEIR DMS.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 15, 2022COURTY OF NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONE OF THE LGERG QUTNS AT THE CENTER OF STRANGER THGS IS WHETHER WILL’S SEXUALY WILL BE ADDRSED ON THE SERI. VIEWERS (SORT OF) GOT AN ANSWER A PAIR OF EMOTNALLY CHARGED SCEN THE SHOW’S RECENTLY RELEASED FOURTH SEASON—ONE BETWEEN NOAH SCHNAPP’S CHARACTER AND HIS BROTHER JONATHAN (CHARLIE HEATON), AND THE OTHER BETWEEN WILL AND HIS BT IEND MIKE (FN WOLFHARD). WHILE BOTH ALLUD TO WILL’S NER SIR, NFIRMATN ABOUT WHAT THOSE SIR WERE HADN’T BEEN OFFERED UNTIL NOW.“IT WAS ALWAYS KD OF THERE, BUT YOU NEVER REALLY KNEW, IS JT HIM GROWG UP SLOWER THAN HIS IENDS?” SCHNAPP SAID A NEW TERVIEW WH VARIETY. “NOW THAT HE’S GOTTEN OLR, THEY MA A VERY REAL, OBV THG. NOW ’S 100% CLEAR THAT HE IS GAY AND HE DO LOVE MIKE. BUT BEFORE, WAS A SLOW ARC. I THK IS DONE SO BETIFULLY, BEE ’S SO EASY TO MAKE A CHARACTER JT LIKE ALL OF A SUDN BE GAY.”SCHNAPP SAID THAT WILL’S “JEALOY” OVER MIKE’S RELATNSHIP WH ELEVEN (MILLIE BOBBY BROWN) PROPELS HIM TO TEARFULLY SPEAK UP. “SOMETIM WHEN YOU’RE DIFFERENT YOU FEEL LIKE A MISTAKE,” A CHOKED-UP WILL TELLS MIKE, WHO DON’T SEEM TO BE GRASPG THE WEIGHT OF WILL’S WORDS. “THIS SCENE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HIM, BEE REALLY SOLIDIFIED THAT TTH: THAT HE LOV HIS BT IEND AND HE DON’T KNOW HOW TO TELL HIM,” SCHNAPP SAID OF HIS CHARACTER.IN THE PAST, SCHNAPP HAS DODGED QUTNS ABOUT WILL’S SEXUALY, SAYG ONLY THAT WAS “UP TO THE DIENCE’S TERPRETATN.” THE ACTOR NOW NFIRMS THAT THIS WAS A WAY TO PROTECT THE SHOW’S SEASON FOUR REVEAL. “I MEAN, ’S PRETTY CLEAR THIS SEASON THAT WILL HAS FEELGS FOR MIKE. THEY’VE BEEN TENTNALLY PULLG THAT OUT OVER THE PAST FEW SEASONS,” SCHNAPP TOLD VARIETY. “EVEN SEASON ONE, THEY HTED AT THAT AND SLOWLY, SLOWLY GREW THAT STORYLE. I THK FOR SEASON FOUR, WAS JT ME PLAYG THIS CHARACTER WHO LOV HIS BT IEND BUT STGGL WH KNOWG IF HE’LL BE ACCEPTED OR NOT, AND FEELG LIKE A MISTAKE AND LIKE HE DON’T BELONG. WILL HAS ALWAYS FELT LIKE THAT.”FN WOLFHARD AS MIKE WHEELER AND NOAH SCHNAPP AS WILL BYERS ‘STRANGER THGS.’COURTY OF NETFLIXTHE EMOTNAL TERACTN BETWEEN WILL AND JONATHAN, WHICH THE OLR BROTHER PROMIS THAT “THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NOTHG THIS WORLD THAT ULD CHANGE” THEIR BOND, WAS A KEY LAST-MUTE ADDN. “IT’S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT WILL IS NOT ALONE—BEE ALL WE EVER SEE OF HIM IS STGGLG AND FEELG PRSED AND THAT HE N’T BE HIMSELF,” SCHNAPP EXPLAED. “JONATHAN IS TALKG TO HIM —’S JT THE PERFECT WAY TO TELL SOMEONE LIKE WILL THAT HE R ABOUT HIM AND HE ACCEPTS HIM NO MATTER WHAT. I THK WAS REALLY WHOLOME.”AS FOR THE FAL SEASON OF STRANGER THGS, SCHNAPP SAID THAT THE DUFFER BROTHERS ARE PLANNG TO “FOC MORE ON WILL,” AND THAT HE’S HOPG FOR A PROPER “G-OUT SCENE” FOR HIS CHARACTER.IN THE TERVIEW, SCHNAPP ALSO ADDRSED HIS MOR ONLE BEEF WH DOJA CAT, WHICH BEGAN AFTER THE 17-YEAR-OLD ACTOR SHARED PRIVATE MSAG THE RAPPER SENT HIM REGARDG HER ROMANTIC TERT HIS STRANGER THGS STAR JOSEPH QUN. AFTER THE MICIAN TOOK ISSUE WH SCHNAPP’S POSTG THEIR SCREENSHOTS, HE APOLOGIZED ON TIKTOK AND TOLD VARIETY THAT HE WAS “SUPER UNSER ON SOCIAL MEDIA.” SCHNAPP NTUED, “I POSTED THAT NOT THKG TOO MUCH OF , BUT OBVLY HURT HER FEELGS. SO, AS I SHOULD, I APOLOGIZED AND SHE WAS TOTALLY OKAY WH , AND WAS LIKE, ‘I’M SORRY HOW I REACTED.’ IT WAS ALL GOOD. I LOVE HER. I’M LIKE THE BIGGT FAN OF HER MIC, AND I TOLD HER THAT.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORECAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWTHE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERHAS THE HAMPTONS FALLY FOUND ITS GREAT EQUALIZER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYSAVANNAH WALSH
• NOAH SCHNAPP, WILL ON STRANGER THGS, COM OUT AS GAY
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT
• WILL BYERS ON "STRANGER THGS" WAS ALWAYS GOG TO BE GAY
• IS ‘STRANGER THGS’ LEADG UP TO A BIG GAY SURPRISE WH WILL BYERS?PRIDEFANS HAVE BEEN SPECULATG THAT NOAH SCHNAPP’S WILL BYERS IS GOG TO E OUT OF THE CLOSET THE SEND HALF OF SEASON 4. WE GATHERED ALL THE CLU—AND HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. TARIQ RAOUFPUBLISHED JUN. 21, 2022 3:27AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/NETFLIXIT’S BEEN A FEW WEEKS SCE STRANGER THGS 4: PART ONE WAS RELEASED AND ’S NOT LONG UNTIL THE FAL MD FLAYER-SIZED EPISOS OF PART TWO E OUT ON JULY 1. IN THE TIME SCE THE SEASON WAS RELEASED AND AFTER UNTLS ARTICL, TWEETS, FAN-FOM POSTS, AND ST TERVIEWS PARSG JT ABOUT EVERY SGLE TAIL OF THE EPISOS, THERE’S STILL ONE QUTN LGERG ON OUR MDS: IS WILL BYERS (NOAH SCHNAPP) GOG TO E OUT THIS YEAR?AFTER GOG DOWN A RABB HOLE OF THOSE AFOREMENTNED FAN THEORI AND TERVIEWS, WE’VE GATHERED THE FACTS AND PUT THE WHOLE THG TOGETHER SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWG THE MOR L, YOU’LL KNOW THERE’S A CERTA PLOT THAT HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW’S BACK BURNER FOR AT LEAST A SEASON: WILL BEYER’S SEXUALY. IT ALL STARTED SEASON 3, EPISO 3, WHEN WILL AND MIKE (FN WOLFHARD) GOT TO AN ARGUMENT AFTER MIKE STOPPED FOCG ON DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BEE HE STARTED DATG ELLE (MILLIE BOBBY BROWN). WILL IS SUPER UPSET THAT THEIR DYNAMIC HAS BEEN CHANGED AND MIKE SHOUTS, “IT’S NOT MY FLT YOU DON’T LIKE GIRLS!” IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE MASSIVE FANBASE BEGAN SPECULATG WHAT THIS SMALL MOMENT ULD MEAN FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THE SHOW HAS BEEN SLOW TO GIVE ANY OTHER VELOPMENT ON THIS STORY.THROUGH THIS YEAR’S ROUND OF PRS, HOWEVER, ’S BEE CLEAR—AS CLEAR AS ANYTHG N BE THE LI-AND-CE GAME OF CELEBRY PRS TOURS—THAT THERE’S FELY SOMETHG LED UP FOR WILL’S RELATNSHIP WH MIKE, AND ’S LOOKG PRETTY QUEER. IN AN TERVIEW WH TVLE, SHOW CREATORS MATT AND ROSS DUFFER EXPLA THAT WE’RE “SUPPOSED TO BE ASKG THOSE QUTNS.” MATT CLAIMS THAT “THIS IS WHERE GETS TRICKY SCE WE HAVEN’T RELEASED THE WHOLE SEASON YET,” AND NTU TO EXPRS NCERN FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE JUMPG THE GUN ON JUDGG EHER WAY. “I JT WANT PEOPLE TO WATCH THE FAL TWO EPISOS.” THE VAGUE RPONS E OM EVERYONE THE ST, ON MULTIPLE TERVIEWS THROUGH DIFFERENT OUTLETS. SHNAPP HIMSELF EXPLAED TO VARIETY, “I THK THAT’S THE BETY OF , THAT ’S JT UP TO THE DIENCE’S TERPRETATN, IF ’S WILL KD OF JT REFG TO GROW UP AND GROWG UP SLOWER THAN HIS IENDS, OR IF HE IS REALLY GAY.” IN THE SAME TERVIEW, BROWN CHIM TO SAY, “I THK WHAT’S REALLY NICE ABOUT WILL’S CHARACTER IS THAT HE’S JT A HUMAN BEG GOG THROUGH HIS OWN PERSONAL MONS AND ISSU. SO MANY KIDS OUT THERE DON’T KNOW, AND THAT’S OK. THAT’S OK TO NOT KNOW. AND THAT’S OK NOT TO LABEL THGS.”AND MOST OBV OF ALL, THERE’S A PROMOTNAL VIO OM NETFLIX MEXI WHERE WOLFHARD JOS ST MEMBERS WONA RYR, DAVID HARBOUR AND CALEB MCLGHL TO DISCS FAN THEORI FOR THE SEASON. WHEN THERE’S A THEORY MENTNED THAT WILL AND ELLE ARE A RELATNSHIP, HARBOUR IS QUICK TO SHOOT DOWN, SAYG, “IF YOU’VE BEEN WATCHG THE SHOW, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WILL IS NOT TERTED ELLE. HE’S TERTED SOMEONE ELSE THE GROUP.” I MEAN, N THEY MAKE ANY MORE OBV?IF HE IS GAY, AND HE’S JT HAVG A HARD TIME G TO TERMS WH TERNALLY, THEN THAT’S A NECSARY STORY TO SHARE A MEDIA LANDSPE THAT OFTEN NEGAT THE QUEER YOUTH EXPERIENCE. FOR VIEWERS WHO MAY BE GOG THROUGH THE SAME THGS AS WILL—NOT READY TO SHARE WHAT’S GOG ON TERNALLY BEE THERE’S A LOT OF NFN AND FEAR—’S IMPORTANT THEY KNOW IS OKAY TO NOT REALLY UNRSTAND WHAT’S GOG ON, AS BROWN POTED OUT. AND SOME SENSE THERE’S NOTHG PARTICULARLY WRONG WH ST MEMBERS NOT ANSWERG THE QUTN AND WANTG TO LEAVE FOR VIEWERS TO SEE FOR THEMSELV, IF WHAT THEY’RE PLANNG IS TLY WORTH .WHAT’S NCERNG IS THAT WILL’S CHARACTER VELOPMENT HAS BEEN GOG AT A SNAIL’S PACE OVER THE LAST TWO SEASONS. IT’S ALMOST AS IF THE BIGGT PART OF HIS PERSONALY RIGHT NOW IS JT HIS CSH ON MIKE, OR HIS BEG THE CLOSET. HE WAS TEGRAL TO BOTH SEASON 1 AND SEASON 2 OF STRANGER THGS AS THE BOY WHO WENT MISSG, AND THEN BEME THE NNECTN TO THE UPSI DOWN. BUT SCE SEASON 3, HIS ROLE HAS BEEN MIMAL PARED TO HIS -STARS. GRANTED, THERE ARE OVER 16 CHARACTERS THE SERI TO FOC ON AND ’S HONTLY IMPRSIVE TO PULL OFF ANY CHARACTER GROWTH WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY. BUT WHY SHOULD WILL’S ONLY FOC BE HIS SEXUALY, OR THE QUTNG OF ? AND EVEN IF THE CREATORS WANT TO EXPLORE THAT BETIFUL SPACE OF FIGURG OUT YOUR INTY AND STGGLG TO TELL YOUR IEND YOU’RE GAY AND YOU HAVE A CSH ON THEM, WHY KEEP THE DIENCE OUT OF THAT JOURNEY?SURE, WILL MAY NOT BE READY TO SHARE THAT WH HIS IENDS, AND THAT’S PERFECTLY UNRSTANDABLE. BUT THE CURRENT AMG OF WILL’S CHARACTER IMPLI THAT THERE’S A EP SHAME NEEDG TIME OR SPACE TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STUFF. IT WOULD’VE BEEN AWOME TO SEE THE PATGS THAT WILL HAS (PROBABLY DITED TO MIKE) SOONER, OR HAVE GOTTEN MORE SHOTS OF HIM GLANCG AT MIKE LOVGLY WHILE NO ONE ELSE NOTIC. ANYTHG TO GET THE DIENCE ON THE SECRET, SO THAT DON’T FEEL LIKE SOME BIG TO-DO.WHEN ROB (MAYA HAWKE) WAS TRODUCED TO THE ST LAST SEASON, OUR QUEER LTLE HEARTS EXPLOD. THE DUFFER BROTHERS PROVED THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO BRG A LBIAN CHARACTER WH GRACE, AND SHE QUICKLY BEME A FAN FAVORE.HER RELATNSHIP GROWTH WH NANCY (NATALIA DYER) THIS SEASON? HANDS DOWN, ONE OF THE BT OF THE SERI. BUT WHY DO ROB GET SUCH BALANCED, BETIFUL CHARACTER WORK WHILE WILL GETS THE SHORT END OF THE STICK? SURE, SHE’S OLR THAN WILL AND IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT MENTAL SPACE REGARDG HER SEXUALY. BUT WILL HAS BEEN THE SERI SCE THE BEGNG, AND HIS QUEERNS DIDN’T REALLY START TO E OUT UNTIL RECENTLY, AND NOW THERE’S A MASSIVE EXPECTATN SET FOR HOW THEY’RE GOG TO HANDLE NEXT. THE BETY OF ROB’S CHARACTER WAS HOW LTLE OF A AL TURNED OUT TO BE THAT SHE WAS A LBIAN, THAT HER AND STEVE (JOE KEERY) IMMEDIATELY WENT OM MAYBE CSH TO PLATONIC BTI. THERE’S A UNIVERSAL TTH THAT NO TWO QUEER EXPERIENC ARE EVER THE SAME, AND ’S OBV THAT WILL AND ROB’S JOURNEYS TO DISVERG THEMSELV ARE PLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT WE GOT TO SEE ROB’S A WAY THAT FEELS LIKE IS BEG ROBBED OM WILL.THE SEASONS HE WAS BARELY VOLVED THE UPSI DOWN ULD HAVE GIVEN WILL MORE TROSPECTIVE, MORE WAYS TO LET THE DIENCE KNOW HIS SECRET SO THAT WE ULD BE ROOTG FOR HIM AS HE FALLY GATHERS THE STRENGTH TO TELL MIKE ABOUT HIS FEELGS.OBVLY, WE’LL HOLD OUR BREATH AND WA TO ST FULL JUDGMENT ON THIS PLOT UNTIL WE SEE THOSE LAST TWO EPISOS THIS SUMMER. BUT EVEN IF ’S AS BETIFUL AS THE DUFFER BROTHERS ARE IMPLYG IS, THERE’S SOMETHG UNSAVORY WE N’T SHAKE ABOUT THE APPROACH TO THIS PLOT. HERE’S HOPG WILL FDS SOME HAPPS, BEE THE KID SERV AFTER ALL THE STUFF HE AND HIS IENDS HAVE BEEN GOG THROUGH ALL THE YEARS. TARIQ RAOUF
• IS WILL BYERS GAY "STRANGER THGS" SEASON 3?
• STRANGER THGS’ NOAH SCHNAPP OUT AS GAY
• ‘STRANGER THGS’ HAS ALWAYS HAD A GAY CHARACTER: WILL BYERS
• IS WILL BYERS GAY? STRANGER THGS CERTALY WANTS YOU TO THK SO

‘STRANGER THGS’ STAR NOAH SCHNAPP COM OUT AS GAY: ‘I’M MORE SIAR TO WILL THAN I THOUGHT’

Noah Schnapp, who plays the closeted gay teenager Will Byers on Netflix’s “Stranger Thgs, ” has e out as gay. In a vio posted to his TikTok acunt on Thursday, the 18-year-old actor wrote, “When I fally told my iends and fay I was gay after beg sred the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know'” — over Schnapp lip-syncg to an d clip om a different TikTok of someone sayg, “You know what never was? In July, followg the but of the fal two episos of the fourth season of “Stranger Thgs, ” Schnapp nfirmed to Variety for the first time that Will Byers is gay and love wh his bt iend Mike (Fn Wolfhard).

Now ’s 100% clear that he is gay and he do love Mike. “I thk is done so betifully, bee ’s so easy to make a character jt like all of a sudn be gay, ” Schnapp said.

All the qutns answered, and still one remas: Will Byers gay yet? “For me, Will beg gay or not is bis the pot.

'STRANGER THGS' ' NOAH SCHNAPP COM OUT AS GAY AFTER 'BEG SRED THE CLOSET FOR 18 YEARS'

Sce that first season, y “We’re not sure about Will’s sexualy, haha” statements have ntued, but the Will Byers on the show jt keeps gettg homosexual-er and homosexual-er. In May, when season four’s first seven episos were released, we found Will pg after Mike, turng down the advanc of girls at school (well, one girl), and growg distant om his straight olr brother — all very gay behavrs! ” Okay, Will Byers gay tthers thought.

DO WILL BYERS E OUT AS GAY STRANGER THGS 4? HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS TO MIKE VOLUME 2

And now, wh the new episos droppg today, the qutn remas: Will Byers gay yet? The new episos feature two proment “Will Byers gay kda” scen, one each episo. The scene clus the gay phrase “When you’re different sometim, you feel like a mistake” and ends wh Will’s brother, Jonathan, seemg to fully unrstand what Will’s thkg.

1: Will is certaly gay or at least attracted to men. It mak ltle sense that a straight man the ’80s would be able to duce on his own that his brother is gay, but the show impli that Jonathan figur out Will’s sexualy bee they would rather do that than have Will say . Look, as far as I’m ncerned, we have an answer to the qutn “Will Byers gay yet?

” The answer is “Y, Will Byers gay. The 18-year-old Stranger Thgs star me out as gay a TikTok vio on Thursday.

STRANGER THGS’ NOAH SCHNAPP CONFIRMS WILL IS “GAY AND DO LOVE MIKE”IN A NEW TERVIEW, THE ACTOR ALSO TEASED A SEASON FIVE G-OUT SCENE AND APOLOGIZED TO DOJA CAT FOR SHARG THEIR DMS.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 15, 2022COURTY OF NETFLIXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONE OF THE LGERG QUTNS AT THE CENTER OF STRANGER THGS IS WHETHER WILL’S SEXUALY WILL BE ADDRSED ON THE SERI. VIEWERS (SORT OF) GOT AN ANSWER A PAIR OF EMOTNALLY CHARGED SCEN THE SHOW’S RECENTLY RELEASED FOURTH SEASON—ONE BETWEEN NOAH SCHNAPP’S CHARACTER AND HIS BROTHER JONATHAN (CHARLIE HEATON), AND THE OTHER BETWEEN WILL AND HIS BT IEND MIKE (FN WOLFHARD). WHILE BOTH ALLUD TO WILL’S NER SIR, NFIRMATN ABOUT WHAT THOSE SIR WERE HADN’T BEEN OFFERED UNTIL NOW.“IT WAS ALWAYS KD OF THERE, BUT YOU NEVER REALLY KNEW, IS JT HIM GROWG UP SLOWER THAN HIS IENDS?” SCHNAPP SAID A NEW TERVIEW WH VARIETY. “NOW THAT HE’S GOTTEN OLR, THEY MA A VERY REAL, OBV THG. NOW ’S 100% CLEAR THAT HE IS GAY AND HE DO LOVE MIKE. BUT BEFORE, WAS A SLOW ARC. I THK IS DONE SO BETIFULLY, BEE ’S SO EASY TO MAKE A CHARACTER JT LIKE ALL OF A SUDN BE GAY.”SCHNAPP SAID THAT WILL’S “JEALOY” OVER MIKE’S RELATNSHIP WH ELEVEN (MILLIE BOBBY BROWN) PROPELS HIM TO TEARFULLY SPEAK UP. “SOMETIM WHEN YOU’RE DIFFERENT YOU FEEL LIKE A MISTAKE,” A CHOKED-UP WILL TELLS MIKE, WHO DON’T SEEM TO BE GRASPG THE WEIGHT OF WILL’S WORDS. “THIS SCENE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HIM, BEE REALLY SOLIDIFIED THAT TTH: THAT HE LOV HIS BT IEND AND HE DON’T KNOW HOW TO TELL HIM,” SCHNAPP SAID OF HIS CHARACTER.IN THE PAST, SCHNAPP HAS DODGED QUTNS ABOUT WILL’S SEXUALY, SAYG ONLY THAT WAS “UP TO THE DIENCE’S TERPRETATN.” THE ACTOR NOW NFIRMS THAT THIS WAS A WAY TO PROTECT THE SHOW’S SEASON FOUR REVEAL. “I MEAN, ’S PRETTY CLEAR THIS SEASON THAT WILL HAS FEELGS FOR MIKE. THEY’VE BEEN TENTNALLY PULLG THAT OUT OVER THE PAST FEW SEASONS,” SCHNAPP TOLD VARIETY. “EVEN SEASON ONE, THEY HTED AT THAT AND SLOWLY, SLOWLY GREW THAT STORYLE. I THK FOR SEASON FOUR, WAS JT ME PLAYG THIS CHARACTER WHO LOV HIS BT IEND BUT STGGL WH KNOWG IF HE’LL BE ACCEPTED OR NOT, AND FEELG LIKE A MISTAKE AND LIKE HE DON’T BELONG. WILL HAS ALWAYS FELT LIKE THAT.”FN WOLFHARD AS MIKE WHEELER AND NOAH SCHNAPP AS WILL BYERS ‘STRANGER THGS.’COURTY OF NETFLIXTHE EMOTNAL TERACTN BETWEEN WILL AND JONATHAN, WHICH THE OLR BROTHER PROMIS THAT “THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NOTHG THIS WORLD THAT ULD CHANGE” THEIR BOND, WAS A KEY LAST-MUTE ADDN. “IT’S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT WILL IS NOT ALONE—BEE ALL WE EVER SEE OF HIM IS STGGLG AND FEELG PRSED AND THAT HE N’T BE HIMSELF,” SCHNAPP EXPLAED. “JONATHAN IS TALKG TO HIM —’S JT THE PERFECT WAY TO TELL SOMEONE LIKE WILL THAT HE R ABOUT HIM AND HE ACCEPTS HIM NO MATTER WHAT. I THK WAS REALLY WHOLOME.”AS FOR THE FAL SEASON OF STRANGER THGS, SCHNAPP SAID THAT THE DUFFER BROTHERS ARE PLANNG TO “FOC MORE ON WILL,” AND THAT HE’S HOPG FOR A PROPER “G-OUT SCENE” FOR HIS CHARACTER.IN THE TERVIEW, SCHNAPP ALSO ADDRSED HIS MOR ONLE BEEF WH DOJA CAT, WHICH BEGAN AFTER THE 17-YEAR-OLD ACTOR SHARED PRIVATE MSAG THE RAPPER SENT HIM REGARDG HER ROMANTIC TERT HIS STRANGER THGS STAR JOSEPH QUN. AFTER THE MICIAN TOOK ISSUE WH SCHNAPP’S POSTG THEIR SCREENSHOTS, HE APOLOGIZED ON TIKTOK AND TOLD VARIETY THAT HE WAS “SUPER UNSER ON SOCIAL MEDIA.” SCHNAPP NTUED, “I POSTED THAT NOT THKG TOO MUCH OF , BUT OBVLY HURT HER FEELGS. SO, AS I SHOULD, I APOLOGIZED AND SHE WAS TOTALLY OKAY WH , AND WAS LIKE, ‘I’M SORRY HOW I REACTED.’ IT WAS ALL GOOD. I LOVE HER. I’M LIKE THE BIGGT FAN OF HER MIC, AND I TOLD HER THAT.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORECAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWTHE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERHAS THE HAMPTONS FALLY FOUND ITS GREAT EQUALIZER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYSAVANNAH WALSH

Over the vio, Schnapp wrote, "When I fally told my iends and fay I was gay after beg sred the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know'".

Over the show's four seasons, fans have repeatedly qutned whether Will was gay, wh some even cricizg the seri for not explicly statg the seemgly obv sooner. Now 's 100% clear that he is gay and he do love Mike. " He later had a heart-to-heart wh his brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) where Jonathan appeared to offer his support of Will, whout ever sayg the words, "I know you're gay and I'm here.

"I thk is done so betifully, bee 's so easy to make a character jt like all of a sudn be gay.

NOAH SCHNAPP, WILL ON STRANGER THGS, COM OUT AS GAY

Schnapp also spoke about playg a gay character at such a young age while real life, also handlg his own personal growth and self-inty. "I gus I'm more siar to Will than I thought."Noah Schnapp, the actor who plays Will Byers Stranger Thgs, has officially e out as gay.Schnapp took to TikTok to share the news wh the world, nfirmg that he recently told his fay and iends and that he was "more siar to Will than I thought.""When I fally told my iends and fay I was gay after beg sred the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know,'" the ptn acpanyg the TikTok reads.As for the vio self, which you n view here, Schnapp is lip-syncg to an d clip of someone else sayg, "you know what never was?

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Que ankly, will never be that ser."Around the release of Stranger Thgs Season 4 2022, Schnapp nfirmed that Will was gay and that the hts were there even the first season."It was hted at Season 1.

Now ’s 100% clear he is gay and do love Mike,” Schnapp said.

WILL BYERS ON "STRANGER THGS" WAS ALWAYS GOG TO BE GAY

Stranger Thgs fans have long believed that our sweet prce Will Byers is gay and love wh his bt iend Mike Wheeler.

READ MORE: Is Will Byers gay Stranger Thgs 4? Is Will Byers gay Stranger Thgs? Do Will Byers e out as gay Stranger Thgs 4?

IS ‘STRANGER THGS’ LEADG UP TO A BIG GAY SURPRISE WH WILL BYERS?PRIDEFANS HAVE BEEN SPECULATG THAT NOAH SCHNAPP’S WILL BYERS IS GOG TO E OUT OF THE CLOSET THE SEND HALF OF SEASON 4. WE GATHERED ALL THE CLU—AND HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. TARIQ RAOUFPUBLISHED JUN. 21, 2022 3:27AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/NETFLIXIT’S BEEN A FEW WEEKS SCE STRANGER THGS 4: PART ONE WAS RELEASED AND ’S NOT LONG UNTIL THE FAL MD FLAYER-SIZED EPISOS OF PART TWO E OUT ON JULY 1. IN THE TIME SCE THE SEASON WAS RELEASED AND AFTER UNTLS ARTICL, TWEETS, FAN-FOM POSTS, AND ST TERVIEWS PARSG JT ABOUT EVERY SGLE TAIL OF THE EPISOS, THERE’S STILL ONE QUTN LGERG ON OUR MDS: IS WILL BYERS (NOAH SCHNAPP) GOG TO E OUT THIS YEAR?AFTER GOG DOWN A RABB HOLE OF THOSE AFOREMENTNED FAN THEORI AND TERVIEWS, WE’VE GATHERED THE FACTS AND PUT THE WHOLE THG TOGETHER SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWG THE MOR L, YOU’LL KNOW THERE’S A CERTA PLOT THAT HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW’S BACK BURNER FOR AT LEAST A SEASON: WILL BEYER’S SEXUALY. IT ALL STARTED SEASON 3, EPISO 3, WHEN WILL AND MIKE (FN WOLFHARD) GOT TO AN ARGUMENT AFTER MIKE STOPPED FOCG ON DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BEE HE STARTED DATG ELLE (MILLIE BOBBY BROWN). WILL IS SUPER UPSET THAT THEIR DYNAMIC HAS BEEN CHANGED AND MIKE SHOUTS, “IT’S NOT MY FLT YOU DON’T LIKE GIRLS!” IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE MASSIVE FANBASE BEGAN SPECULATG WHAT THIS SMALL MOMENT ULD MEAN FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THE SHOW HAS BEEN SLOW TO GIVE ANY OTHER VELOPMENT ON THIS STORY.THROUGH THIS YEAR’S ROUND OF PRS, HOWEVER, ’S BEE CLEAR—AS CLEAR AS ANYTHG N BE THE LI-AND-CE GAME OF CELEBRY PRS TOURS—THAT THERE’S FELY SOMETHG LED UP FOR WILL’S RELATNSHIP WH MIKE, AND ’S LOOKG PRETTY QUEER. IN AN TERVIEW WH TVLE, SHOW CREATORS MATT AND ROSS DUFFER EXPLA THAT WE’RE “SUPPOSED TO BE ASKG THOSE QUTNS.” MATT CLAIMS THAT “THIS IS WHERE GETS TRICKY SCE WE HAVEN’T RELEASED THE WHOLE SEASON YET,” AND NTU TO EXPRS NCERN FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE JUMPG THE GUN ON JUDGG EHER WAY. “I JT WANT PEOPLE TO WATCH THE FAL TWO EPISOS.” THE VAGUE RPONS E OM EVERYONE THE ST, ON MULTIPLE TERVIEWS THROUGH DIFFERENT OUTLETS. SHNAPP HIMSELF EXPLAED TO VARIETY, “I THK THAT’S THE BETY OF , THAT ’S JT UP TO THE DIENCE’S TERPRETATN, IF ’S WILL KD OF JT REFG TO GROW UP AND GROWG UP SLOWER THAN HIS IENDS, OR IF HE IS REALLY GAY.” IN THE SAME TERVIEW, BROWN CHIM TO SAY, “I THK WHAT’S REALLY NICE ABOUT WILL’S CHARACTER IS THAT HE’S JT A HUMAN BEG GOG THROUGH HIS OWN PERSONAL MONS AND ISSU. SO MANY KIDS OUT THERE DON’T KNOW, AND THAT’S OK. THAT’S OK TO NOT KNOW. AND THAT’S OK NOT TO LABEL THGS.”AND MOST OBV OF ALL, THERE’S A PROMOTNAL VIO OM NETFLIX MEXI WHERE WOLFHARD JOS ST MEMBERS WONA RYR, DAVID HARBOUR AND CALEB MCLGHL TO DISCS FAN THEORI FOR THE SEASON. WHEN THERE’S A THEORY MENTNED THAT WILL AND ELLE ARE A RELATNSHIP, HARBOUR IS QUICK TO SHOOT DOWN, SAYG, “IF YOU’VE BEEN WATCHG THE SHOW, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WILL IS NOT TERTED ELLE. HE’S TERTED SOMEONE ELSE THE GROUP.” I MEAN, N THEY MAKE ANY MORE OBV?IF HE IS GAY, AND HE’S JT HAVG A HARD TIME G TO TERMS WH TERNALLY, THEN THAT’S A NECSARY STORY TO SHARE A MEDIA LANDSPE THAT OFTEN NEGAT THE QUEER YOUTH EXPERIENCE. FOR VIEWERS WHO MAY BE GOG THROUGH THE SAME THGS AS WILL—NOT READY TO SHARE WHAT’S GOG ON TERNALLY BEE THERE’S A LOT OF NFN AND FEAR—’S IMPORTANT THEY KNOW IS OKAY TO NOT REALLY UNRSTAND WHAT’S GOG ON, AS BROWN POTED OUT. AND SOME SENSE THERE’S NOTHG PARTICULARLY WRONG WH ST MEMBERS NOT ANSWERG THE QUTN AND WANTG TO LEAVE FOR VIEWERS TO SEE FOR THEMSELV, IF WHAT THEY’RE PLANNG IS TLY WORTH .WHAT’S NCERNG IS THAT WILL’S CHARACTER VELOPMENT HAS BEEN GOG AT A SNAIL’S PACE OVER THE LAST TWO SEASONS. IT’S ALMOST AS IF THE BIGGT PART OF HIS PERSONALY RIGHT NOW IS JT HIS CSH ON MIKE, OR HIS BEG THE CLOSET. HE WAS TEGRAL TO BOTH SEASON 1 AND SEASON 2 OF STRANGER THGS AS THE BOY WHO WENT MISSG, AND THEN BEME THE NNECTN TO THE UPSI DOWN. BUT SCE SEASON 3, HIS ROLE HAS BEEN MIMAL PARED TO HIS -STARS. GRANTED, THERE ARE OVER 16 CHARACTERS THE SERI TO FOC ON AND ’S HONTLY IMPRSIVE TO PULL OFF ANY CHARACTER GROWTH WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY. BUT WHY SHOULD WILL’S ONLY FOC BE HIS SEXUALY, OR THE QUTNG OF ? AND EVEN IF THE CREATORS WANT TO EXPLORE THAT BETIFUL SPACE OF FIGURG OUT YOUR INTY AND STGGLG TO TELL YOUR IEND YOU’RE GAY AND YOU HAVE A CSH ON THEM, WHY KEEP THE DIENCE OUT OF THAT JOURNEY?SURE, WILL MAY NOT BE READY TO SHARE THAT WH HIS IENDS, AND THAT’S PERFECTLY UNRSTANDABLE. BUT THE CURRENT AMG OF WILL’S CHARACTER IMPLI THAT THERE’S A EP SHAME NEEDG TIME OR SPACE TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STUFF. IT WOULD’VE BEEN AWOME TO SEE THE PATGS THAT WILL HAS (PROBABLY DITED TO MIKE) SOONER, OR HAVE GOTTEN MORE SHOTS OF HIM GLANCG AT MIKE LOVGLY WHILE NO ONE ELSE NOTIC. ANYTHG TO GET THE DIENCE ON THE SECRET, SO THAT DON’T FEEL LIKE SOME BIG TO-DO.WHEN ROB (MAYA HAWKE) WAS TRODUCED TO THE ST LAST SEASON, OUR QUEER LTLE HEARTS EXPLOD. THE DUFFER BROTHERS PROVED THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO BRG A LBIAN CHARACTER WH GRACE, AND SHE QUICKLY BEME A FAN FAVORE.HER RELATNSHIP GROWTH WH NANCY (NATALIA DYER) THIS SEASON? HANDS DOWN, ONE OF THE BT OF THE SERI. BUT WHY DO ROB GET SUCH BALANCED, BETIFUL CHARACTER WORK WHILE WILL GETS THE SHORT END OF THE STICK? SURE, SHE’S OLR THAN WILL AND IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT MENTAL SPACE REGARDG HER SEXUALY. BUT WILL HAS BEEN THE SERI SCE THE BEGNG, AND HIS QUEERNS DIDN’T REALLY START TO E OUT UNTIL RECENTLY, AND NOW THERE’S A MASSIVE EXPECTATN SET FOR HOW THEY’RE GOG TO HANDLE NEXT. THE BETY OF ROB’S CHARACTER WAS HOW LTLE OF A AL TURNED OUT TO BE THAT SHE WAS A LBIAN, THAT HER AND STEVE (JOE KEERY) IMMEDIATELY WENT OM MAYBE CSH TO PLATONIC BTI. THERE’S A UNIVERSAL TTH THAT NO TWO QUEER EXPERIENC ARE EVER THE SAME, AND ’S OBV THAT WILL AND ROB’S JOURNEYS TO DISVERG THEMSELV ARE PLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT WE GOT TO SEE ROB’S A WAY THAT FEELS LIKE IS BEG ROBBED OM WILL.THE SEASONS HE WAS BARELY VOLVED THE UPSI DOWN ULD HAVE GIVEN WILL MORE TROSPECTIVE, MORE WAYS TO LET THE DIENCE KNOW HIS SECRET SO THAT WE ULD BE ROOTG FOR HIM AS HE FALLY GATHERS THE STRENGTH TO TELL MIKE ABOUT HIS FEELGS.OBVLY, WE’LL HOLD OUR BREATH AND WA TO ST FULL JUDGMENT ON THIS PLOT UNTIL WE SEE THOSE LAST TWO EPISOS THIS SUMMER. BUT EVEN IF ’S AS BETIFUL AS THE DUFFER BROTHERS ARE IMPLYG IS, THERE’S SOMETHG UNSAVORY WE N’T SHAKE ABOUT THE APPROACH TO THIS PLOT. HERE’S HOPG WILL FDS SOME HAPPS, BEE THE KID SERV AFTER ALL THE STUFF HE AND HIS IENDS HAVE BEEN GOG THROUGH ALL THE YEARS. TARIQ RAOUF

While Will don't technilly e out as gay or queer Stranger Thgs 4 Volume 2, there are two scen that sentially nfirm that he is romantilly love wh episo 8, Mike and Will are the backseat of the pizza van while Jonathan is drivg and Mike is worried that Eleven isn't gog to want him anymore bee he's jt "some random nerd that got lucky".

I thk is done so betifully, bee ’s so easy to make a character jt like all of a sudn be gay. Actor Noah Schnapp of Stranger Thgs fame has e out as gay.

IS WILL BYERS GAY "STRANGER THGS" SEASON 3?

He ptned the vio, "I gus I'm more siar to Will than I thought, " a reference to his Stranger Thgs character, gay teenager Will Byers, who is g out as well. "When I fally told my iends and fay I was gay after beg sred the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know, '" he wrote on the vio, which he lip-synchs to d of a speaker sayg, "You know what never was? "\u201cNoah Schnapp out as gay new TikTok.

1672956617Stranger Thgs had dropped hts that his character is gay, but Schnapp and the rt of the show's team did not nfirm anythg until last summer. In July, after the last episos of the show's fourth season buted, Schnapp told Variety that Will is ed gay and love wh his bt iend, Mike.

Now 's 100 percent clear that he is gay and he do love Mike. ""I thk is done so betifully, bee 's so easy to make a character jt like all of a sudn be gay, " Schnapp told Variety.

STRANGER THGS’ NOAH SCHNAPP OUT AS GAY

The assistant strength and ndng ach for the Jacksonville Jaguars has bee the first male ach ever the NFL -- or Amerin men's pro sports altogether -- to publicly e out as gay. 'Stranger Thgs' Star Noah Schnapp Com Out as Gay on TikTok. NHL Prospect Le Prokop Com Out as Gay.

Madonna Appears to Come Out as Gay New Vio.

Jerrod Carmichael Com Out as Gay New Stand-Up Special.

‘STRANGER THGS’ HAS ALWAYS HAD A GAY CHARACTER: WILL BYERS

Colton Unrwood Addrs Backlash After Comg Out as Gay. Fans who pleted Volume 2 of "Stranger Thgs" Season 4 will know Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has fally, a roundabout way, e out as gay. The show don't actually say he's gay outright.

Beyond the hts subtle or big, fans of the horror genre might have known Will Byers was always gog to be gay. It mak sense at a time when the AIDS crisis helped spur greater pictns of gay men and trans characters as monsters film. In fact, many cultural and film crics suggt that Anne Rice drew om the real-life horrors of the AIDS crisis (imaged as the "gay man's ncer" ially by doctors) when craftg her groundbreakg gay characters "Interview wh the Vampire, " as she had always supported the LGBTQ muny and wanted to addrs the 's rhetoric that poed gay people as monsters.

In 1984, real-life Indiana born and raised Ryan Whe, although not himself gay, was diagnosed wh AIDS after ntractg the disease om a blood transfn.

IS WILL BYERS GAY? STRANGER THGS CERTALY WANTS YOU TO THK SO

Like Freddy Keger (who has a gay fandom of his own), he is also a monster pable of slippg to the mds of his victims. Shnapp himself explaed to Variety, “I thk that’s the bety of , that ’s jt up to the dience’s terpretatn, if ’s Will kd of jt refg to grow up and growg up slower than his iends, or if he is really gay.