When Stranger Things debuted in 2016, it was immediately obvious that the young performers had been impeccably well cast by the Duffer Brothers and the rest of their creative team. Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, and Gaten Matarazzo have repeatedly demonstrated their talent, and the recently released Stranger Things 2 only reaffirmed our belief that these kids have very bright futures ahead of them. But first, it’s time to look back at their previously unseen audition tapes.
Via Pop Sugar, this clip was taken from an episode of Beyond Stranger Things, the Netflix-produced after show featuring actor and Oscar-winning writer Jim Rash as the host. Apparently, Rash and his producers decided to surprise the cast with clips from their audition tapes, which drew some very hilarious responses from the young performers.
Watching this footage, it’s easy to see why each cast member was chosen for their part. Schnapp captured Will Byers’ vulnerability with ease, while the personalities of Wolfhard, McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo shined through their auditions even though they all appeared to be reading a scene between Mike and his sister Nancy. Brown’s audition video allowed her to show off her raw emotional range, and it’s still impressive nearly two years later.
Fortunately, we’ll get to see these cast members stay together for at least another two-to-three seasons of Stranger Things. While Wolfhard and Brown have already landed major roles in It and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, respectively, we think that it’s only a matter of time before Schnapp, McLaughlin, and Gaten make their marks in Hollywood as well.
What did you think about the Stranger Things audition videos? Let us know in the comment section below!
Images: Netflix
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