Stranger Things Will – Learn more with Healthier Me Today! Noah Schnapp, the talented 18-year-old star of Netflix’s beloved series Stranger Things Will Byers, recently made a heartwarming and empowering announcement to his fans.
Schnapp decided to speak up about his journey of self-discovery and coming out after months of thought.
On Jan. 5, driving with his family, he bravely posted an eight-second video on TikTok for his massive following of over 31 million.
Schnapp was overcome with joy and relief due to the outpouring of love and support that followed.
1. Noah Schnapps’ Journey Through Stranger Things Will Byers
Schnapps’ journey began when his Stranger Things Will Byers character’s sexual orientation was revealed in a 2022 interview with Variety.
As the show’s popularity grew, so did debates about Will’s identity, and Schnapp realized that his role as Will played a role in his journey of self-acceptance.
“I would be in a completely different place if I didn’t have Will to portray and embrace,” he admitted. If I hadn’t played the Stranger Things Will Byers character, I’d probably still be gay.”
Schnapp found himself on a path of transformation. “Once I fully accepted Will’s homosexuality, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself,” Schnapp explained.
He credited his depiction of Will as a pivotal factor in his self-acceptance, noting that he might still be in the closet if he hadn’t had this experience.
He credited his depiction of Will as a pivotal factor in his self-acceptance, noting that he might still be in the closet if he hadn’t had this experience.
2. Schnapps’ Take On Embracing One’s Authentic Self And Future Endeavors
Schnapp is ready for exciting new adventures now that he has accepted his true self.
As the final season approaches, Schnapp expressed excitement about bringing a new level of authenticity to his Stranger Things Will Byers character.
He’s also ventured outside acting, including his business, TBH, which offers a hazelnut spread alternative.
Schnapps’ creative ambitions include creating a clothing line and even an alcohol brand, in addition to acting.
Schnapp stated, “I’m just enjoying life, and if someone comes by, then sure — but I’m not actively trying to find a match.”
He also talked about his first Pride event in New York City, describing it as a liberating and heartwarming experience with his parents cheering him on.
3. Being an Inspiration
Noah Schnapps’ journey can inspire many people.
He has enriched his life by portraying Stranger Things Will Byers and coming out and contributing to a larger conversation about self-acceptance and the importance of genuine representation in the entertainment industry.
As Schnapps’ future unfolds, it’s clear that he’s poised to make his mark on both the entertainment and non-entertainment worlds while remaining true to himself and embracing the endless possibilities.
4. So What’s The Story?
Noah Schnapp was bogged down in his drafts. The 18-year-old actor, who rose to fame on Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” kept putting off posting a video he’d shot on his phone — an announcement he’d been debating for months.
His closest friends kept texting him, asking him when he would post it.
I’m curious to see how the rest of the world reacts! Schnapp continued to respond, “No, I’m not ready.” I’m not prepared. I’m not prepared.
But on Jan. 5, he felt ready after dropping his twin sister, Chloe, off at college in Boston.
As they began the hour-long drive back to their Westchester, New York home, he posted the eight-second video to TikTok’s more than 31 million followers.
5. The Reaction to His News
At first glance, it appeared similar to other videos he’d made with friends (including “Stranger Things” BFF Millie Bobby Brown).
With his head on a pillow, lip-syncing to a famous audio clip of someone saying, “You know what it never was? That grave.”
But this TikTok was unique. Schnapp had written a message in a text box above his head that he never thought he’d share, let alone broadcast across the internet, until recently.
“After finally telling my friends and family that I was homosexual after being scared in the closet for 18 years, all they said was, ‘we know.'”
It was instantly iconic to borrow a phrase from Schnapps’ generation — a watershed moment for LGBTQ visibility executed flawlessly.
Naturally, Schnapps’ phone exploded, with texts and calls pouring in after the video went viral. He didn’t even look at any of them.
“I didn’t want to sit there nervously waiting to see what people were going to say,” Schnapp says six months later, tucked into a sofa following his photo shoot for Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood issue (and before the SAG-AFTRA strike).
“I just wanted to put it away and be confident in who I am, knowing that I don’t have to care what other people think about me anymore.”
6. A Wave of Unexpected Support
His resolve lasted the entire journey. “When I opened my phone at the end of the car ride, it was like a thousand texts of hearts, congratulations, and rainbow flags,” Schnapp exclaims.
“I was sobbing. ‘I made it,’ I thought. I’m finished. I don’t have to be concerned.'”
Schnapps’ decision to come out was the culmination of a process he says began in earnest when he confirmed that his “Stranger Things” character Will Byers is gay in a July 2022 interview with Variety.
Since the show’s debut in 2016, when Schnapp was 11, he has fielded — and deflected — questions about Will’s sexuality in the press and on social media.
By the summer of 2022, however, “Stranger Things” had become one of Netflix’s most popular shows, with Season 4 putting Will’s sexuality squarely in the spotlight.
7. What’s Next for Noah Schnapps
Schnapps’ decision to come out was the culmination of a process he says began in earnest when he confirmed that his “Stranger Things” character Will Byers is gay in a July 2022 interview with Variety.
Since the show’s debut in 2016, when Schnapp was 11, he has fielded — and deflected — questions about Will’s sexuality in the press and on social media.
By the summer of 2022, however, “Stranger Things” had become one of Netflix’s most popular shows, with Season 4 putting Will’s sexuality squarely in the spotlight.
8. How Did His Family React
Many fans were surprised when Noah Schnapp revealed how his twin sister reacted when he told her he was gay.
Stranger Things star, 18, said his sister Chloe Schnapp was the first person he spoke about his sexuality before telling the rest of his family and, later, the world.
In a new interview with Variety, Noah said, “I can’t tell anyone else before I tell my twin sister – she’ll kill me.”
“She was overjoyed,” he added. She expressed her displeasure at the prospect of me marrying another girl and having to compete for her attention.
“She was like, ‘Oh, he’ll be my best friend now that it’ll be a guy.'”
Fans have called Chloe’s fear of competing for attention with another woman “creepy” in response to Variety’s tweet about the incident.
9. The Late Sigmund Freud Comments
Many people mentioned the late Sigmund Freud, the Austrian neurologist, and psychoanalyst known for his theories on sexual relations and family dynamics.
“RIP Sigmund Freud, you would have loved Noah Schnapp revealing his twin sister’s reaction to him coming out,” one Twitter user said.
Another person commented, “Oh, Sigmund Freud would have had a field day with this.” Schnapp also discussed how his mother reacted when he came out to her in his interview.
Despite telling his sister, he admitted that he “slid back into the closet” after returning to college and became “miserable.”
10. Mother Schnapps Responses
Karinne Schnapp, Noah’s mother, became concerned about his well-being and paid him a visit at college, “I couldn’t tell her how I was feeling without telling her what the issue was, so just one night at dinner, I was like, ‘This is it,'” Noah explained.
“‘Finally, you told me!’ she exclaimed.” When I was 12, she told a friend, ‘I know my son is gay,’ and she was right. Is it necessary for me to ask him?
‘How do I go about doing it?’ “Oh, you just let him be and figure it out alone,” the friend said.
Noah said that after telling his mother, he felt like he had taken “the biggest breath of relief of my life.”
“Just to know what I finally got off my chest, and she knew it was like, ‘ugh!'” he said. He eventually came out to his father and friends.
Stranger Things Will Byers Actor Noah Schnapps’ Coming Out Story…
After coming out, he attended his first-ever Pride celebration in New York this year.
To commemorate the occasion, Noah posted photos on Instagram showing him wearing a rainbow-colored vest that read “Straight Outta The Closet” and dancing in the street with other LGBT+ revelers.
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