For more than a decade, “Stranger Things” shaped Millie Bobby Brown’s childhood, career, and closest relationships.
However, when the cameras finally stopped rolling on Netflix’s blockbuster series, the actress discovered saying goodbye was far harder than she ever imagined.
Instead of celebrating the end of a hugely successful chapter, Brown found herself battling unexpected emotions, questioning friendships, and struggling to process life without the people who had become her second family.
Millie Bobby Brown candidly reflected on the emotional aftermath of finishing “Stranger Things” during a live recording of Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in New York City.
Although she has long been known for her upbeat personality, Brown admitted she wasn’t prepared for how deeply the ending of the series would affect her.
“It was very hard for me,” Brown recalled per Page Six, adding, “I would not have expected that coming off of the show. I’m a very happy-go-lucky person.”
Instead of feeling relieved after wrapping one of Netflix’s biggest franchises, Brown said she found herself overwhelmed by unexpected sadness.
The 22-year-old described falling into “a slight depression,” explaining that the emotional weight of closing such a significant chapter in her life hit far harder than she ever imagined.
Brown Tried To Mend Relationships With Her Co-Stars
As she processed the end of the series, Millie Bobby Brown also found herself reaching out to the people she had worked alongside for years.
The young star admitted she wanted to make sure there was no lingering tension with her “Stranger Things” family, including David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Winona Ryder.
“I was like, ‘We’re still friends, right? Like, you’re not gonna stop talking to me anymore?’” she recalled.
Brown explained that she apologized if she had ever hurt anyone during their decade together, hoping to leave the production on good terms.
She explained, “I was like, ‘I’m sorry if I ever upset you,’ and was just trying to mend anything. ‘It’s been 10 years, and I really want to be friends. You’re my sibling.’”
The emotions continued long after filming wrapped. While spending time by the ocean, the “Enola Holmes” star said the reality of everything finally caught up with her.
“And then I was on the beach, it was beautiful, and I just sat there crying,” she continued. “It was a very hard time for me.”
Millie Bobby Brown Says Eleven Became Part Of Who She Is
For Brown, “Stranger Things” wasn’t simply another acting job. It represented her childhood, her identity and many of the relationships that shaped her formative years.
She began portraying Eleven at just ten years old, remaining with the series throughout its five-season run from 2016 to 2025. Looking back, Brown said the experience was something very few people could truly understand.
“And no one will ever understand it,” she shared. Brown explained that playing Eleven became inseparable from her own life because she spent more time with the cast than she often did with her own family.
In her words, “I started the show when I was 10, and this character was me, and these people were in my life more than my own family.”
She added that she saw her castmates more frequently than she was able to sit down for dinner at home, making the goodbye especially painful after a decade together.
Brown admitted that leaving the character behind remains one of the hardest parts of closing the series. “I’m going to miss Eleven more than anything,” she noted.
Brown And Harbour Moved Past Their On-Set Disagreement
Although Millie Bobby Brown now speaks warmly about her castmates, her time on “Stranger Things” wasn’t entirely free of conflict.
Reports emerged ahead of the show’s fifth season alleging she had filed a complaint involving David Harbour, who portrayed her on-screen adoptive father, Chief Jim Hopper.
According to earlier reports, Harbour was the subject of an internal investigation before production on the final season began, although the outcome of that inquiry was never publicly disclosed. Brown also reportedly filmed the series finale with a personal representative present on set.
Earlier this month, Harbour publicly acknowledged there had been tension between him and Brown, though he emphasized that they eventually resolved their differences.
Speaking to Variety, he compared the disagreement to family dynamics, noting that families “occasionally get in arguments, disagreements” before they ultimately “come back together.”
He also explained that others had become involved before the two stars decided to handle the issue themselves. Harbour shared that once he and Brown had “cleared everybody out of the way and talked to each other,” they were “fine.”
Millie Bobby Brown And David Harbour Found Common Ground After Clearing The Air
Harbour reflected further on the situation, revealing that the biggest challenge wasn’t the disagreement itself but how uncomfortable people had become with honest conversations.
“Everyone nowadays is very scared of talking about things,” he reflected, further noting, “People are very scared of being human. It’s unfortunate, because I don’t know how to navigate this weird media world.”
Despite the headlines surrounding their relationship, Harbour maintained that the conflict never changed the foundation of their bond.
“But it was completely normal and we adore each other and always have,” the 51-year-old stated.
