Millie Bobby Brown, much like her characters, is not one to back away from a righteous battle — especially if it’s the fight for equity in on-screen representation.
The Electric State actress recently appeared on Alex Cooper’s popular Call Her Daddy podcast amid her press tour for the Russo Brothers/Netflix flick, explaining why she gravitates toward strong, leading female characters in her career.
“I think there’s enough men heroes out there,” she said, “like I feel like we’ve seen enough, do you know what I mean? I love that for them, love that for them, but I feel like we need young girls to be able to see heroes as females and to be able to feel like we’re able to save the world too, and it’s bigger messaging on girls being able to be decision-makers, be in politics, change the world for the better. So why not see heroes on screen that they can resonate with?”
The Stranger Things star continued, “Of course, I want to branch out and work on different things, but, for me, there is a must in that if a young girl is watching, how will she feel watching this? Will she feel empowered, will she feel like she can kind of move forward in a really inspired way? Everything I’ve done thus far fuels that, and Electric State definitely fuels that.”
In addition to the release of her film, in which she’s starring opposite Chris Pratt and Ke Huy Quan, Brown was recently in the headlines for calling out tabloid reporters for stoking misogyny by hyperfixating on her appearance.
“This isn’t journalism. This is bullying,” she said in a video post on the matter. “The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices is disturbing. And the fact that some of these articles are written by women makes it even worse. We always talk about supporting and uplifting young women, but when it comes down to it, it seems a lot easier to just tear them down for clicks. Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman, on her terms, not their own. I refuse to apologize for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman. I will not be shamed for how I look, how I dress, or how I present myself.”
