The past week has shown a growing controversy over the treatment of the youngest stars of Netflix’s Stranger Things, spanning from interactions with fans in public to troubling views of this kids as “sex symbols.” Finn Wolfhard was the most recent to face this, with fans criticizing the young star for not stopping to pose for photographs outside of a hotel. The situation itself has grown to the point where other actors are speaking out to defend Wolfhard and his fellow actors. The most vocal has been Sophie Turner who has likely had her own issues with fans due to her role on Game Of Thrones.
Turner seems disgusted by the reaction to Wolfhard and what the other young actors on the show are dealing with, chastising fans — especially the older fans — who seem to forget that these actors are still children:
https://twitter.com/SophieT/status/927652819083153410
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She also adds that even if they are characters on a show and part of the entertainment industry, it is far from part of the job.
https://twitter.com/SophieT/status/927684899557052417
Fellow Stranger Things actress Shannon Purser, the late Barb, also added her own take on the situation and echoed the sentiments shared by Turner.
https://twitter.com/shannonpurser/status/926996197973397505
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Worse here is that most of the actors seem fine with actually having an interactive experience with fans. As Noah Schnapp adds to the discussion, the stars of Stranger Things aren’t out to shrug off fans. There just needs to be that line, which some fans don’t seem to be willing to honor.
So true. we really love the fans. Finn is the nicest guy u will ever know. we all work so hard, and need a break sometimes. #Compassion ❤️❤️ https://t.co/On3Fo8NeB8
— Noah Schnapp (@noah_schnapp) November 5, 2017
The history of child actors in Hollywood hasn’t always been positive. Seeing someone like Turner and the others on Stranger Things come out to support each other wasn’t there in the older days of Hollywood, when the media was the only outlet for these stories. These are individuals who are more visible than ever before in society, so seeing them taking control of their own stories is a positive change.